Residents of Northern Luzon were advised to brace for heavy rains that super typhoon Mawar may trigger as early as Sunday evening, May 28. Latest satellite image of super typhoon Mawar (PAGASA)
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Friday, May 26, said Mawar was last spotted 1,740 kilometers (km) east of southeastern Luzon outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR). It has maximum sustained winds of 215 kph and gustiness of up to 20 kph. PAGASA’s current track scenario showed that Mawar may enter PAR on Friday evening, May 26 or Saturday morning, May 27. Once inside the country’s area of responsibility, it will be given the domestic name “Betty.”

Heavy rains, gale-force wind conditions, hoisting of wind signals

PAGASA Weather Specialist Patrick Del Mundo, in a public weather forecast, said super typhoon Mawar could trigger heavy rains in Northern Luzon beginning Sunday evening. “Mawar may bring heavy rains over Northern Luzon beginning Sunday evening. [Along with this,] strong to gale-force wind conditions may be experienced in most areas of the region which may result in the hoisting of tropical cyclone wind signals in the coming days,” said Del Mundo. Apart from these, the weather disturbance may also “enhance” the Southwest Monsoon, dumping monsoon rains in the western portions of Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, and Visayas. Already packing winds of 215 kph, Mawar could still reach its “peak intensity” within 24 to 36 hours.

Prevailing weather system

Del Mundo said the southwesterly windflow is currently affecting most parts of the archipelago, causing cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms, especially in Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, SOCCSKSARGEN, and BARMM. Metro Manila and the rest of the country, on the other hand, may expect partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rains in the next 24-hour period due to the combined effects of southwesterly windflow and localized thunderstorms.