(Eagle News)–“Siony” has maintained its strength as it continued to move slowly over the Philippine Sea.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Signal No. 1 remains hoisted over the northeastern portion of mainland Cagayan (Santa Ana, Gonzaga) and the eastern portion of Babuyan Islands (Balintang Isl., Babuyan Island, Didicas Island, and Camiguin Island including their adjoining islets) with “Siony” located 755 km east of Basco, Batanes.
It is packing maximum sustained winds of 85 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 105 kph.
PAGASA said it is moving east and is forecast to move slowly or remain almost stationary in the next 12 hours.
Afterwards, PAGASA said “Siony” will move generally west or west-northwest towards the Luzon Strait and Extreme Northern Luzon, bringing the center over or very close to the Batanes and Babuyan Islands between tomorrow evening and Friday morning.
It is forecast to intensify into a severe tropical storm in the next 24 hours and reach its peak intensity of 100 to 110 kph tomorrow before it reaches extreme Northern Luzon.
PAGASA said it may also intensify into a typhoon.
In the next 24 hours, the northeasterlies enhanced by Tropical Storms “Rolly” and “Siony” will bring strong breeze to gale-force winds with higher gusts over Batanes, Babuyan Islands, and the northern coastal areas of Cagayan and Ilocos Norte.
The combined effects of the northeasterlies and the trough of “Siony” will also bring light to moderate with at times heavy rains over Bicol Region, Northern Samar, Aurora, Quezon, and the eastern portions of Cagayan and Isabela.
Rough to very rough seas are expected over the entire seaboards of Northern Luzon, the northern seaboard of Camarines Sur, the northern and eastern seaboards of Catanduanes, and the seaboards of Aurora, Camarines Norte, Kalayaan Islands, and northern Quezon (including the northern and eastern coastal waters of Polillo Islands) due to the combined effects of “Rolly”, “Siony”, and the enhanced northeasterlies.
This means sea travel is risky over these waters, especially for those using small seacraft.
Moderate to rough seas, on the other hand, will be experienced over the western seaboard of Central Luzon, the eastern and western seaboards of Southern Luzon, and the eastern seaboards of Visayas and Mindanao.