The super typhoon off the Pacific Ocean has intensified further but was still outside the country’s area of responsibility on Thursday afternoon, May 25, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its latest bulletin.
As of 4 p.m., the super typhoon with the international name Mawar was approximately 2,000 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon with maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts up to 240 kph.
PAGASA said it may reach a peak intensity of 215 kph by Sunday, May 28.
The weather disturbance is still outside the Philippine area of responsibility and has no impact on the Philippines yet.
However, the prevailing southwesterly wind flow will continue to bring scattered rain showers and thunderstorms to the western parts of Southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Light to heavy rain showers and thunderstorms may affect Palawan, Western Visaays, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in the next 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.
Mawar to enter PAR Friday or Saturday
PAGASA said Mawar is still expected to enter the PAR between Friday evening, May 26, and Saturday morning, May 27.
Weather specialist Daniel James Villamil said in a public weather forecast that they are not ruling out a possible southward shift in Mawar’s track, which means “a much closer approach” to the provinces of Cagayan Valley, particularly Batanes, Babuyan Islands, and mainland Cagayan.
“Current track scenario shows that the rain bands of the typhoon may bring heavy rains over Cagayan Valley between Sunday, May 28, and Tuesday, May 30,” Villamil said.
He added that Mawar may enhance the southwest monsoon or “habagat” and may trigger monsoon rains over the western portions of Luzon and Visayas as early as Sunday or Monday.
“However, the monsoon rains scenario may still change due to dependence of the southwest monsoon enhancement on the track and intensity of Mawar,” Villamil pointed out.