TROPICAL storm Jenny intensified into a severe tropical storm yesterday morning and may further intensify into a typhoon, and possibly into a super typhoon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said yesterday.
The weather bureau placed the province of Batanes under wind Signal No. 1.
In a bulletin issued at 4 p.m., PAGASA said Jenny was some 760 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan. It is moving northwestward at 15 kph, with maximum sustained winds of 100 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 125 kph.
Jenny developed into a tropical depression, from a low pressure area, last Friday after entering the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). It strengthened into a tropical storm on Saturday.
PAGASA said Jenny may intensify into a typhoon last night and may reach its peak strength of 155 kph in maximum sustained winds on Tuesday.
“We are not ruling out the chance that this may intensify into a super typhoon knowing it is in a favorable condition, in a warm area of the sea,” said PAGASA weather specialist Benison Estareja.
Estareja said Jenny is expected to be some 660 kilometers east of Calayan, Cagayan this morning, and 400 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes Tuesday morning.
Estareja said Jenny will be closest to the Philippine landmass on Wednesday morning at about 200 kilometers northwest of Itbayat, Cagayan.
PAGASA said Jenny is forecast to move generally northwestward until tomorrow before turning west northwestward towards the Luzon Strait and generally westward on Thursday.
“On the track forecast, Jenny will traverse over the southern portion of Taiwan on Wednesday evening or (Thursday) morning before emerging the eastern waters of Taiwan and exiting the PAR on Thursday afternoon or evening,” PAGASA said.
“However, a landfall or close approach scenario over extreme northern Luzon is still not ruled out since these scenarios are within the forecast confidence cone,” PAGASA added.
PAGASA said Bicol region, Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, and Quezon will have cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms due to the trough or extension of Jenny.
Mimaropa, Zamboanga Peninsula, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and Visayas will have cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms due to the southwest monsoon which is being enhanced by Jenny.
Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms due to the trough of Jenny and localized thunderstorms.
