TYPHOON “JENNY” (international name: “Koinu”) slightly intensified as it continued to move to the southern portion of Taiwan on Wednesday, raising to Signal No. 3 the typhoon warning in northern Batanes in the late afternoon.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said that Jenny was spotted 155 kilometers (km) north northeast of Itbayat, Batanes, as of 5 p.m. Wednesday.

It packed maximum sustained winds of 155 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center with gusts of up to 190 kph as it moved westward at 15 kph.

Typhoon Signal No. 2 remained hoisted over the rest of Batanes and the northern portion of Babuyan Islands, while Signal No. 1 covered the rest of Babuyan Islands, the northern portion of mainland Cagayan, the northern portion of Apayao, and the northern portion of Ilocos Norte.

PAGASA said it expected the typhoon to weaken due to the increasing dry air entrainment and vertical wind shear. “Once over the Taiwan Strait, additional cool dry air from the north will entrain into Jenny, resulting in continued weakening,” the state weather agency said.

At its current speed, the typhoon is set to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Thursday afternoon or evening.

“Outside the PAR region, Jenny will continue to move westward slowly over the Taiwan Strait and the coastal waters of southeastern China,” PAGASA said.

Rains are expected to persist in the coming days even if Jenny did not making landfall in the country because it enhances the southern monsoon to bring occasional rains over the western portions of Luzon. — Adrian H. Halili

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