Pagasa fears 'Lawin' could be super typhoon; storm signals raised

Fearing Typhoon “Lawin” will develop into a super typhoon on or before Thursday, the state weather bureau raised Public Storm Warning Signal No. 2 over several areas in extreme part of North Luzon. In its 5:00 am update on Wednesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said affected areas include Batanes, and Cagayan province including the Babuyan and Calayan groups of islands. “Cagayan, Calayan, Babuyan, and Batanes groups of islands will experience stormy weather with rough to very rough seas… where 61 to 100 kph winds are expected in at least 24 hours,” PAGASA said. PAGASA noted the typhoon will bring estimated 10 to 20-mm per hour amount of rainfall that will come down from the Lawin’s 850-km diameter. Meanwhile, Public Storm Warning Signal No. 1 was raised over Ilocos Norte, Kalinga, Apayao, Abra, and Isabela where residents will experience 30 to 60 kph-strong winds in at least 36 hours. “Strong to gale force wind is expected to affect the Eastern seaboard of Central Luzon, the seaboards of Southern Luzon and Visayas and the Northern and Eastern seaboards of Mindanao,” PAGASA warned. Typhoon “Lawin” has been spotted at about 460 kms east of Tuguegarao City, packing up maximum sustained winds of 205 kph winds near its center and a gustiness of up to 240 kph. Moving over sea in north northwest direction at 11 kph, Perez expressed fear the typhoon will become a super typhoon on Thursday before it exits the country’s area of responsibility by Saturday evening. Perez explained a severe weather disturbance need to manifest having a maximum sustained winds of 210 kph and more near its center before a severe weather disturbance can be called a super typhoon. But he assured that Typhoon “Lawin’”s center-track will not make landfall in any part of extreme North Luzon given that present scenario continues to prevail. The weather forecaster highlighted typhoon’s possibility not to develop into a super typhoon because of the prevalence of cold and dry north easterly winds blowing in the southern part of China. Perez explained the typhoon’s interaction with easterly winds from China would prevent it from gathering more strength in the East Philippine Sea. “One of the scenarios is that if it continues its direction, the typhoon will probably coast its way to Taiwan and move towards southern part of Japan (by Saturday),” Perez explained. The typhoon has already induced Southwest Monsoon that will bring cloudy skies with occasional moderate to heavy rains in the regions of Mimaropa, Bicol, and Visayas. PAGASA added Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mindanao and the rest of Luzon will have occasional light to moderate rains.