As super typhoon Goring (international name: Saola) heads out of the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), a severe tropical storm with the international name “Haikui” is expected to enter the PAR in the next few hours, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Wednesday, Aug. 30.
In its 5 p.m. bulletin, PAGASA last located Goring 185 kilometers west of Itbayat, Batanes.
It is moving west-northwestward at 15 kilometers per hour (kph), with maximum sustained winds of 195 kph near the center and gusts of up to 240 kph.
Tropical cyclone wind signal number 1 remains in effect over Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Norte, the northern portion of Apayao, and the northwestern portion of Cagayan, while wind warnings have been lifted in other areas.
Severe tropical storm approaches PAR
Meanwhile, severe tropical storm Haikui was spotted 1,465 kilometers east of extreme Northern Luzon as of 10 a.m.
It may enter the PAR Wednesday, and will be given a local name “Hanna,” PAGASA said.
While inside the PAR, Haikui may intensify into a typhoon, but it will remain far from the Philippine landmass.
Although the current forecast scenario indicates that Haikui is less likely to have a direct effect on the country, it may enhance the southwest monsoon, or “habagat,” on Thursday or Friday, Aug. 31 or Sept. 1.
It may reach its maximum intensity on Friday, as it approaches the boundary of the PAR, PAGASA said.
Haikui may exit the PAR on Friday morning.
Enhanced ‘habagat’
“This [the enhancement of the southwest monsoon] may result in the continuation of occasional or monsoon rains over the western portions of Luzon and Visayas throughout this week,” PAGASA said, as super typhoon Goring continues to strengthen the effect of the habagat.
PAGASA said heavy monsoon rains may persist in Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite, Batangas, Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro, and the northern portion of Palawan, including Calamian and Cuyo Islands on Thursday, Aug. 31.
Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite, Batangas, Nueva Ecija, La Union, Benguet, Zambales, Bataan, Pangasinan, and Occidental Mindoro may continue to experience heavy monsoon rains on Friday, Sept. 1.
“Under these conditions, flooding and rain-induced landslides are expected especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards as identified in hazard maps and in localities that experienced considerable amounts of rainfall for the past several days,” PAGASA said.
New cyclone spotted east of Visayas
PAGASA also monitored a tropical depression 3,150 kilometers east of Eastern Visayas, or outside the PAR, on Wednesday afternoon.
It has maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near the center and gusts of up to 70 kph, and is moving northward at 10 kph.
This weather disturbance has no direct effect on any part of the country as of Wednesday.
