By Christopher Lloyd T. Caliwan
MANILA, Aug. 21 (PNA) — Typhoon “Ineng” has maintained its strength as it continues to move slowly over Balintang Channel, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services (PAGASA) said in its weather update bulletin issued at 5 p.m. Friday.
PAGASA said that as of 5 p.m. the eye of typhoon Ineng was located based on Basco doppler radar and all available data 110 km East of Calayan, Cagayan (19.3°N, 122.5°E), packed with maximum sustained winds of 170 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 205 kph. It is forecast to move West Northwest at 7 kph.
Since Typhoon “Ineng” maintained its speed and movement, it was forecast to be at 55 km Northwest of Basco, Batanes. by Saturday afternoon.
By Sunday afternoon she is expected to be at 320 km North Northeast of Basco, Batanes and by Monday afternoon will be outside Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) or at 725 km Northeast of Basco, Batanes.
Meanwhile, the provinces of Batanes Group of Islands, Northern Cagayan, including Babuyan and Calayan Group of Islands still under Signal No. 3 (winds of 101-185 kph expected in at least 18 hours)
PAGASA said the rest of Cagayan, Northern Isabela, Kalinga, Apayao, Abra and Ilocos Norte were still under PSWS No. 2 (winds of 61-100 kph expected in at least 24 hours).
PSWS No. 1 (30-60 kph winds expected in at least 36 hours) is still hoisted over the rest of Isabela, Ifugao, Mt. Province, Benguet, La Union and Ilocos Sur.
PAGASA alerted the residents in low-lying and mountainous areas of the provinces under PSWS#3, #2 and #1 against possible flash floods and landslides while storm surges of up to 2.5 meters are possible along the coastal areas of Cagayan.
Storm surges of up to two meters are possible over the coastal areas with PSWS #3 and #2.
Fisher folk are advised not to venture out over the seaboards of Central and Southern Luzon and the eastern seaboard of Visayas.
The estimated rainfall amount is from moderate to heavy within the 600-km diameter of the typhoon.
The state weather bureau said that typhoon-enhanced “habagat” was expected to bring rains over Pangasinan, Zambales and Bataan while Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon and Western Visayas experience occasional rains.
In the next 24 hour forecast, PAGASA said that stormy weather with rough to very rough seas would prevail over Batanes, Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Kalinga, Apayao, Abra, and Cagayan, including Calayan and Babuyan group of islands and rains with gusty winds over the rest of Cordillera and the provinces La Union and Ilocos sur.
Isolated thunderstorms would prevail over Mindanao, PAGASA said.
It added that moderate to strong winds blowing from the northwest to west would prevail over the rest of Northern Luzon while winds from the southwest would prevail over the rest of the country.
The coastal waters over the rest of the archipelago will be moderate to rough.(PNA)