Weather Today – August 19, 2015 | #INENGPH maintains strength, Signal #1 hoisted

Yesterday noon, the typhoon with international name “Goni” entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and was given a local name “Ineng”, the second tropical cyclone for August 2015. Based on the latest location from PAGASA, it was at approximately 865 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan at 8:00 this morning.

Ineng has maintained strength, now with maximum sustained winds of 180 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 215 kilometers per hour. Moving west, its speed remains at 25 kilometers per hour.

PAGASA Weather Forecaster Aldczar Aurelio says if it maintains speed and direction, it will possibly make landfall over Batanes area on Friday or Saturday. However, the public is advised to monitor updates as habagat could prevail as it nears the landmass.

Storm Signal Number 1 is now up over the Batanes Group of Islands and Cagayan, including Calayan and the Babuyan Group of Islands, where winds of 30 to 60 kilometers per hour are expected in 36 hours. Residents are also alerted against rains with gusty winds.

Meanwhile, due to habagat, occasional rains will be experienced over Palawan, Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula while cloudy skies will bring light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms over Cordillera, Ilocos Region, provinces of Isabela, Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya. Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated thunderstorms.

Gale warning is up over the eastern seaboard of Luzon due to the strong to gale force winds associated with the typhoon Ineng. These include Isabela, Aurora, the eastern coast of Camarines provinces, Catanduanes, eastern coast of Albay and eastern coast of Sorsogon. Sea travel is risky for fishing boats and other small seacraft as wave height could reach 3.4 to 4.5 meters.

Typhoon “Atsani”, on the other hand, was estimated at more than 3,000 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan. It moves northwest at 20 kilometers per hour. With its current track, PAGASA Weather Forecaster Jori Loiz says it has a slim chance of entering the PAR.

For more information, watch PANAHON TV’s interview with PAGASA Weather Forecaster Jori Loiz: