Typhoon Soudelor Continues to Intensify

(PNA) — The typhoon with international name “Soudelor” (International Name) continues to gain strength and expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsbility (PAR) by Wednesday morning, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its weather bulletin issued at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.

PAGASA said that as of 10 a.m. The Typhoon “Soudelor” was located based on all available data at 1,855 km East of Luzon (18.4N, 139.2E) and continues to move West Northwest at 20 kph.

Typhoon’s maximum sustained winds has increase to 215 kilometer per hour (kph) from 210 kph and also its gustiness up to 250 kph from 245 kph.

PAGASA weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said typhoon Soudelor has high chance to intensify into super typhoon category.

Aurelio said the super typhoon category has more than 220 kilometres per hour (kph) of sustained winds.

Meanwhile, as per report from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Soudelor has reached the equivalent of category 5 hurricane status on Monday afternoon (eastern time), with sustained winds of 178 mph.

According to same report, Soudelor is now the strongest tropical cyclone on Earth since Super Typhoon Hagupit in December 2014, which also peaked with winds of 180 mph.

Aurelio said Soudelor will not directly affect the country and it is not expected to make landfall in any part of the country but will enhance the southwest monsoon or “habagat”. It is expected to affect Visayas and Mindanao.

The typhoon is expected to enter the PAR by tomorrow morning where it is expected to be at 1,400 km East of Calayan Island and will be named “Hanna”, the eight tropical cyclone to affect the country this year and first for this month of August.

By Thursday morning, it will be at 850 km East of Itbayat, Batanes and by Friday morning, it is expected to be at 400 km East Northeast of Itbayat, Batanes and at 520 km North of Itbayat, Batanes and already outside the PAR by Saturday morning.

PAGASA advised the general public and disaster risk reduction and management councils concerned to monitor for the next update to be incorporated in the public weather forecast at 5 p.m. Tuesday and for the next advisory to be issued at 11 a.m. Wednesday. (PNA) CTB/CLTC