Typhoon “Carina” (international name “Gaemi”) intensified further as it headed towards Taiwan on Wednesday morning, July 24, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
PAGASA said the center of the eye of the typhoon was located 290 kilometers northeast of Itbayat, Batanes at 4 a.m.
Carina has maximum sustained winds of 155 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 190 kph and was moving northwestward at 25 kph.
If it maintains this speed and direction, PAGASA said the typhoon is expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility by Wednesday evening or Thursday morning, July 25, after making landfall over the northern portion of Taiwan Wednesday afternoon or evening.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 remains hoisted over Batanes, while Signal No. 1 is still in effect in Babuyan Islands, the northern portion of mainland Cagayan (Claveria, Santa Praxedes, Sanchez-Mira, Pamplona, Abulug, Ballesteros, Aparri, Camalaniugan, Buguey, Santa Teresita, Santa Ana, Gonzaga), and the northern portion of Ilocos Norte (Burgos, Bangui, Pagudpud, Dumalneg, Adams).
PAGASA said moderate to heavy rains (50 to 100 millimeters) are expected to persist in Batanes and Babuyan Islands.
It added that the southwest monsoon, or “habagat,” enhanced by typhoon Carina will continue to bring moderate to intense rains over some parts of western Luzon until Friday, July 26.
“Under these conditions, flooding and rain-induced landslides are possible, especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards as identified in official hazard maps and in localities that experienced considerable amounts of rainfall for the past several days,” PAGASA warned.