‘Mawar’ re-intensifies into super typhoon
THE tropical cyclone with international name Mawar has regained its strength as it re-intensified into a super typhoon Thursday morning, May 25, 2023, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
As of 4 p.m. Thursday, the center of Mawar was located still outside of the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), at 2,000 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon.
It was packing maximum winds of 195 kilometers per hour (km/h) near the center and gusts of up to 240 km/h. It was moving west northwestward at 15 km/h, said Pagasa.
Pagasa weather specialist Benison Estareja said Mawar is expected to further intensify in the coming days.
He said as of Thursday, Mawar had no direct effect on the country, but rainshowers may be experienced in the western section of southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao due to the southwesterly wind flow or habagat.
Mawar is expected to enter PAR on Friday night or early dawn of Saturday, May 27, and it will be named “Betty.”
Pagasa said it may reach a peak intensity of 215 km/h on Saturday, May 27.
The weather bureau said, however, that the tropical cyclone is not expected to make landfall in the country, but it will further enhance the habagat and will bring heavy rains in most parts of the Philippines.
“The rain bands of Betty may affect Cagayan Valley from Sunday to Tuesday. A tropical cyclone wind signal may be raised in these areas prior to the effect,” said Estareja.
Mawar was also forecast to enhance the Southwest Monsoon and may trigger monsoon rains over the western portions of Mimaropa, Visayas and Mindanao on Friday evening and Saturday, and over western portions of Luzon and Visayas on Sunday onwards.
The typhoon passed over Guam early Thursday morning under Category 4 storm, with winds of up to 225 km/h and torrential rains. It damaged houses along its track and displaced several families.
The Philippine government, particularly the Department of Social Welfare and Development, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, and Office of the Civil Defense, among others, are preparing for the onslaught of Mawar.