Huaning: Signal #1 in Batanes

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MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE) – The province of Batanes has been put under public storm warning signal number 1 late Wednesday, July 10, as Typhoon Huaning (Soulik) continues on its way to Taiwan.

Huaning was spotted 1,150 kilometers east of Itbayat, Batanes (21.6°N, 134.4°E) as of 4 pm Wednesday, carrying maximum sustained winds of 175 km/h and gusts of up to 210 km/h.

The Batanes group of islands can expect winds of 45-60 km/h within the next 36 hours, which could cause some damage to agriculture and structures made of light materials.

Sea travel of small seacraft could also be risky, the state weather bureau PAGASA warned in its latest severe weather bulletin.

Taiwan bracing for typhoon

Huaning has an estimated 800 km diameter, and within the typhoon heavy to intense rainfall (10-25 mm/h) can be expected, the bureau said.

Strong to gale force winds can also be expected in the eastern coasts of Northern and Central Luzon, the bureau said.

The next severe weather bulletin will be released 11 pm Wednesday, PAGASA said.

The typhoon is currently moving west northwest at a speed of 20 km/h, towards the general direction of Taiwan and east China.

By Thursday afternoon (July 11), Huaning is expected to be 720 km northeast of Itbayat; by Friday afternoon (July 12) it will be 380 km northeast of the Batanes town.

It will be out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Saturday afternoon.

Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau (CWB) expects the typhoon to hit the island’s northern tip by Thursday, local media reported.

The CWB said it expects Huaning/Soulik to continue intensifying as it traverses the Pacific Ocean, and could be the first major typhoon to make landfall on the island.

No storm warnings have been raised in Taiwan so far. – Rappler.com