Batanes still under public storm signal no. 1

MANILA –- Public storm signal number 1 remains hoisted over the Batanes Group of Islands as Typhoon Gener made landfall over northeastern Taiwan, the state weather bureau said Thursday morning.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that at 5:00 a.m. Thursday, the eye of Typhoon Gener was located based on satellite and surface data at 405 kilometers north of Basco, Batanes.

It packed maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 160 kph.

It is forecast to move north northwest at 15 kph and is expected to be 610 kilometers north northwest of Basco, Batanes by Friday morning, outside the Philippine area of responsibility.

Estimated rainfall amount is from heavy to torrential (10–35 millimeters per hour) within the 800-kilometer diameter of the typhoon.

Metro Manila will experience rains due to the southwest monsoon with moderate to strong winds from the southwest.

Manila Bay will have moderate to rough seas.

The rest of Luzon and Western Visayas will experience occasional rains becoming frequent over the western section of Northern Luzon that may trigger flash floods and landslides.

The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.

Moderate to strong winds blowing from the southwest will prevail over the archipelago and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough. (PNA/Sunnex)