“Hindi pa siya umaabot pero nariyan posibilidad na maging supertyphoon kasi nasa karagatan pa siya,” PAGASA forecaster Buddy Javier said in an interview on dzBB radio.
Javier said a cyclone must have maximum sustained winds of 210 kph and gustiness of 250 kph to be considered a supertyphoon.
But Javier said Huaning was moving west-northwest and was unlikely to make landfall over the Philippines.
“Pinapakita ng model natin maliit chance tumama sa kalupaan ng ating bansa. Tinatahak niya papunta northern Taiwan gigilid lang pero maapektuhan ilang part ng Batanes,” he said.
As of Thursday morning, he said Huaning had maximum sustained winds of 175 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 210 kph.
5 a.m. advisory
PAGASA’s 5 a.m. advisory said Huaning was estimated at 910 km east of Itbayat, Batanes as of 4 a.m.
It said Huaning was moving west-northwest at 20 kph and is expected to be 550 km northeast of Itbayat, Batanes Friday morning.
By Saturday morning, it is expected to be 420 km north of Itbayat, Batanes. By Sunday morning it is expected to be 710 km northwest of Itbayat, Batanes or outside the Philippine area of responsibility.
Batanes remained under Storm Signal No. 1.
PAGASA said Huaning may bring rainfall of 10 to 25 mm per hour (heavy to intense) within its 800-km diameter.
“Fishermen specially those using small seacrafts are advised not to venture out into the northern and eastern seaboards of Luzon due to big waves generated by Typhoon Huaning,” it said.
Thursday outlook
For Thursday, PAGASA said Batanes will experience rains with gusty winds.
Cordillera, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao and Caraga and Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Nueva Ecija, Mindoro, Marinduque and Romblon will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms.
Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be “partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms,” it added.
Moderate to strong winds from the north to northwest will prevail over northern and eastern Luzon and coming from the west to southwest over Eastern Visayas.
The coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough.
Light to moderate winds coming from the west to southwest will prevail over Mindanao and the rest of Visayas and from the northwest over the rest of the country.
The coastal waters along these areas will be slight to moderate.
PAGASA said strong to gale force winds associated with Typhoon Huaning may affect the northern and eastern seaboards of northern Luzon and the eastern seaboard of Central Luzon.
“Fishing boats and other small seacrafts are advised not to venture out into the sea while larger sea vessels are alerted against big waves,” it said. — DVM, GMA News
