Cyclone off Pacific Ocean rapidly intensifies into severe tropical storm

BY ELLALYN DE VERA-RUIZ

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Severe tropical storm Mawar could become a typhoon within 24 hours.
• The storm, which was moving north-northwestward at 10 kph as of Sunday afternoon, will be given the local name “Betty” once inside PAR.
• Mawar’s enhancement of the southwesterly surface wind flow could lead to the start of the rainy season in the country this weekend.

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The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the tropical cyclone over the Pacific Ocean strengthened into a severe tropical storm on Sunday afternoon, May 21, and is expected to intensify into a typhoon within 24 hours.

The severe tropical storm with international name Mawar now has maximum sustained winds of 100 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 125 kph, up from 85 kph maximum sustained winds and gusts of up to 105 kph.

According to PAGASA weather specialist Veronica Torres, Mawar could become a typhoon within 24 hours.

A typhoon has maximum sustained winds of 118 to 184 kph.

Torres pointed out that Mawar is still seen to enter the Philippine area of responsibility later this week.

The storm, which was moving north-northwestward at 10 kph as of Sunday afternoon, will be given the local name “Betty” once inside PAR.

Torres said the weather disturbance has no direct impact on the Philippines yet but it may enhance the southwesterly surface wind flow, which will bring rains to several areas in the western section of the country in the coming days.

In the next 24 hours, scattered rain showers and thunderstorms may affect Palawan, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Western Visayas, and Zamboanga Peninsula.

Residents in these areas have been warned of the possibility of flash floods or landslides due to moderate to heavy rains.

Meanwhile, PAGASA said the rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to the southwesterly wind flow and localized thunderstorms.

It advised the public to exercise caution during severe thunderstorms, as these may also trigger landslides or flash floods, especially in areas that are vulnerable to these hazards.

In its public forecast on Sunday morning, PAGASA weather specialist Patrick del Mundo said Mawar’s enhancement of the southwesterly surface wind flow could lead to the start of the rainy season in the country this weekend.