Batanes under Signal No. 2 as 'Henry' looms

MANILA, Philippines — Typhoon "Henry" has maintained its strength while traversing the Balintang Channel and moving towards the eastern coast of Batanes, the state weather bureau said Tuesday.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its latest bulletin that the eye of the typhoon was located at 280 kilometers northeast of Aparri, Cagayan or 240 kilometers of southeast of Basco, Batanes at 4 a.m. today.

Henry is packing maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 160 kph.

Public storm warning signal no. 2 has been hoisted over Batanes Group of Islands while Cagayan including the Babuyan and Calayan Group of Islands are under signal no. 1.

Moderate to heavy rainfall amount (7.5 to 15 millimeters per hour) has been estimated within the 500-kilometer diameter of the typhoon.

Moving northwest at 24 kph, Henry is expected to be at 370 kilometers north of Basco, Batanes or in the vicinity of Central Taiwan by tomorrow morning and at 820 km Northwest of Basco, Batanes by Thursday morning.

PAGASA said Henry is expected to bring moderate to occasionally heavy rains over Ilocos region, CAR and Cagayan Valley. The rest of Luzon and Western Visayas, meanwhile, will experience monsoon rains.

The weather bureau is advising residents in these areas to be alert against possible flashfloods and landslides.

"Fisherfolks and those with small seacrafts are advised not to venture out over the eastern, southern and western seaboards of Luzon and the seaboards of Visayas," PAGASA said.