Tropical depression Gardo has weakened into a low pressure area (LPA) while super typhoon Henry (international name: Hinnamnor) slightly intensified, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Thursday, Sept. 1.
The low pressure area, in the final bulletin issued by PAGASA, was last spotted 760 kilometers (km) east northeast of Itbayat, Batanes. This remnant low is forecast to be “fully assimilated” within the circulation of super typhoon Henry in the next 12 hours.
Super typhoon Henry slightly intensifies
Henry, which was last spotted 430 km east northeast of Itbayat, Batanes, slightly intensified while moving south southwestward at 25 kph. It has maximum sustained winds of 195 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 240 kph.
This weather disturbance is expected to bring light to moderate with at times heavy rains over Batanes in the next 24 hours. It is also forecast to enhance the southwest monsoon, locally called habagat, which may bring rains over the western section of Luzon beginning Friday, Sept. 2.
“Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals (TCWS) may be hoisted for localities in extreme northern Luzon by today at the earliest in anticipation of potential strong breeze to near gale conditions. The potential for hoisting a Wind Signal No. 2 is also not ruled out,” said PAGASA in its bulletin.
The super typhoon is forecast to continue moving generally south southwestward while decelerating. In the next 24 hours, the tropical cyclone may become almost stationary.
On the forecast track, Henry is expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Saturday evening, Sept. 3 or Sunday morning, Sept. 4.