Typhoon intensifies as it nears country
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Typhoon intensifies as it nears country
By Zandro Amiel N. Ochona, Correspondent
“Typhoon Egay” (international codename Sepat) gathered strength as it neared the country and could even grow into a super typhoon, weather experts said Wednesday.
Prisco Nilo, deputy director for operations and services of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, said a storm is upgraded into a super typhoon when its wind speed reaches 215 kilometers per hour.
As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, Egay was churning the Pacific Ocean 670 km southeast of Aparri, Cagayan, with maximum sustained winds of 175 kph, gusting up to 210 kph. The typhoon had slowed to 9 kph, an indication that it was intensifying.
“A typhoon which has not reached land may still continue to strengthen and may eventually become a super typhoon,” Nilo said.
Signal No.1 had been raised in Catanduanes, Cagayan and Isabela provinces.
Egay is expected to enhance the southwest monsoon which would bring more rains to Luzon and the Visayas.
“Region 2, which is nearer to the eye of the typhoon, is not getting as much rain. So Thursday until Saturday are considered critical for the increased amount of rainfall for Palawan and Central Luzon because of the prevailing southwest monsoon,” said Pagasa weather specialist Roberto Rivera.
By Friday morning, Egay is expected to be 190 km of Aparri, Cagayan, headed in the direction of Taiwan.
Despite the approaching typhoon, two provinces in Cagayan, Aparri and Tuguegarao, were still experiencing a dry spell.
In the past two days, Egay had brought rain to the western part of northern Luzon but failed to provide sufficient rainfall to the eastern provinces. This is partly because the prevailing weather in Central Luzon is influenced by the southwest monsoon which is being enhanced by Egay.
Pagasa supervising weather specialist Rosalina de Guzman said Egay had not been bringing as much rain as Chedeng and Dodong did but that was because it had not made landfall yet.
Nilo said that if Egay hits Cagayan squarely, the rainfall in the province might return to normal.
He also said Cagayan Valley “may experience substantial amount of rainfall by December because of the northeast monsoon [hanging amihan]. This may last until February or March.”
Meanwhile, the cooling of the Pacific Ocean could be a suggestion that the La Niña phenomenon might affect the country in the months to come.
Pagasa Climatology and Agrometeorology Chief Flaviana Hilario said “the development of La Niña in June to July has stalled but will likely to persist.”
In July, the UN-funded World Meteorological Organization released their forecast of a “more likely than not” development of La Niña in the second half of 2007. Hilario emphasized that with this WMO outlook and the models they use in Pagasa “all are pointing at a La Niña episode toward the end of the year.”
De Guzman said under a La Niña episode, “the amount of rainfall is affected, not the amount of typhoons to enter the country.”
Another low pressure area forming outside of the country may also intensify into a storm. If it does, it will be named Falcon.
from:
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/aug/16/yehey/top_stories/20070816top3.html
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