Tropical Storm Jenny slightly intensifies over Philippine Sea

MANILA, Philippines – Tropical Storm Jenny (Koinu) slightly strengthened on Saturday evening, September 30, with its maximum sustained winds increasing from 65 kilometers per hour to 75 km/h.

The tropical storm’s gustiness is now up to 90 km/h from the previous 80 km/h.

Jenny is still projected to intensify into a severe tropical storm on Sunday, October 1, and into a typhoon late Monday, October 2, or on Tuesday, October 3.

In a bulletin issued at 11 pm on Saturday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Jenny was located 915 kilometers east of Central Luzon.

It is moving northwest at 15 km/h, a direction it is expected to maintain until Monday. Then it could turn west northwest toward the Luzon Strait on Tuesday and west on Wednesday, October 4.

PAGASA now sees Jenny passing over the Bashi Channel between Batanes and the southern part of Taiwan between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, October 5. Taiwan is within the Philippine Area of Responsibility.

“However, a landfall or close approach scenario over extreme Northern Luzon is still not ruled out,” added the weather bureau.

While the tropical storm remains too far to directly affect the country, its trough or extension is bringing scattered rain showers and thunderstorms to Isabela, Aurora, Quezon, Bicol, and Eastern Visayas.

PAGASA said Jenny could start bringing heavy rain to Batanes, Babuyan Islands, and the northern parts of mainland Cagayan, Apayao, and Ilocos Norte on Wednesday or Thursday.

Tropical cyclone wind signals may also be raised for extreme Northern Luzon starting Sunday evening or Monday, or even earlier, to inform affected areas to prepare for severe winds from Jenny.

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In a separate advisory at 11 pm on Saturday, PAGASA warned that Jenny might enhance the southwest monsoon or habagat in the coming days. The following areas would be affected by moderate to heavy rain from the enhanced southwest monsoon:

Sunday night, October 1, to Monday night, October 2

• 50-100 millimeters (mm): Palawan

Monday night, October 2, to Tuesday night, October 3

• 50-100 mm: northern part of Palawan including Calamian and Cuyo islands, Occidental Mindoro

The southwest monsoon will also trigger gusty conditions in these areas:

Saturday night, September 30, to Monday, October 2

• Palawan, Romblon, Western Visayas

Tuesday, October 3

• Western Visayas, Mimaropa, Bicol, most of Calabarzon

For coastal waters, moderate to rough seas are expected in extreme Northern Luzon and the northern part of mainland Cagayan on Monday due to Jenny. PAGASA advised small vessels to take precautionary measures or avoid sailing altogether since waves could be 2 to 4 meters high.

Jenny is the Philippines’ 10th tropical cyclone for 2023 and the second for September. – Rappler.com