26-5-2023 (Manila) The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) issued a statement late Thursday afternoon, revealing that Super Typhoon Mawar is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Friday night, May 26. The state weather bureau indicated that Mawar is currently situated approximately 2,000 kilometers east of Southeastern Luzon, still outside the PAR.
With a west-northwestward movement at a speed of 15 kilometers per hour, Mawar possesses maximum sustained winds of 195 km/h and gustiness of up to 240 km/h. Pagasa’s state weather specialist, Daniel James Villamil, disclosed during a press briefing that Mawar may potentially reach its peak intensity of 215 km/h by Sunday.
Pagasa has not ruled out the likelihood of Mawar’s trajectory shifting slightly southward in the coming days. Villamil emphasized that if this occurs, the areas most affected will be in extreme Northern Luzon, including Batanes, the Babuyan Islands, and mainland Cagayan. He stated that based on Pagasa’s forecast, Mawar may bring heavy rainfall to the Cagayan Valley region between Sunday and Tuesday of next week.
Villamil also raised an additional concern that Pagasa is closely monitoring: Mawar may intensify the southwest monsoon from the weekend through early next week. Consequently, this weather system could result in significant rainfall over the western parts of the country, including Metro Manila.
Villamil reiterated that although Mawar has yet to enter PAR, its southwesterly wind flow is already influencing the country. He explained that the western sections of Southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao will experience overcast skies along with scattered rain, thunderstorms, and lightning. This weather pattern is expected to persist in Palawan, Western Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Zamboanga Peninsula, Soccsksargen, and the Bangsamoro region.
