BAGUIO CITY (PIA) - - Typhoon “Jenny” might not directly affect any part of Cordillera but it may enhance the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat that could bring light to moderate and at times heavy rains in some parts of the region, as it moves along its forecasted track.

PAGASA – Baguio Chief Meteorologist Larry Esperanza  reported this during the Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CRDRRMC) virtual Pre – Disaster Risk Assessment (PDRA) meeting on  Monday (October 2).

Esperanza said that  given its present forecasted track and wide diameter, Typhoon Jenny  may bring rains and winds to the province of Apayao and may also enhance the Habagat that may bring monsoon rains to the eastern part of Cordillera.

In line with this, CRDRRMC Chairperson and Office of Civil Defense – Cordillera Regional Director Albert Mogol  directed the Emergency Operations Center to be on heightened alert and monitoring of the situations in region.

 Mogol also advised local DRRM Councils to maintain a pro – active approach and prepare for the possible hazards that  enhanced habagat in their respective areas of responsibility such as landslides and flash floods and its effect to mining and tourism activities.

During  the said PDRA meeting, member agencies of the CRDRRMC Response Cluster  headed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, assured their respective preparedness actions that include prepositioning of family food packs and non – food items; law enforcement; quick response and search and rescue teams and vehicles on standby; emergency telecommunication and road clearing equipment, among others. 

As of 10am, the center of the eye of Typhoon Jenny was estimated based on all available data at 600km East of Calayan Cagayan with maximum sustained wind of 140 km/h and gustiness of up to P170 km/h moving northwestward at 15km/h.

With the typhoon force winds extend outwards up to 560km from the center, Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 1 is already hoisted over Batanes, Babuyan Island and some provinces of extreme northern Luzon including the Cordillera province of Apayao.

For the other parts of Cordillera, the PAGASA forecast is still partly cloudy to cloudy skies with scattered rain showers due to localized thunderstorm or Habagat. (CCD/PIA CAR)