27-8-2023 (MANILA) The Philippines is bracing for the impact of super typhoon Saola, which intensified at dawn on Sunday, posing a significant threat to the northern part of the country, according to the Philippine state weather bureau.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has issued warnings about the potential for heavy rainfall in mountainous regions, which could lead to dangerous flooding and landslides.
As of the latest observation, Saola was located over the coastal waters of Isabela province on northern Luzon island, moving slowly in a south-southwestward direction. The typhoon was packing sustained winds of 185 km per hour (115 mph) and gusts of up to 230 km per hour (143 mph).
PAGASA cautioned that “the southwest monsoon enhanced by Saola will bring occasional or monsoon rains over Luzon mainland and the Visayas regions in the central Philippines over the next three days.”
This marks the seventh typhoon to affect the Philippines this year, underlining the country’s vulnerability to natural disasters. Positioned within the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines experiences a high frequency of seismic activity, including earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, in addition to an annual average of 20 typhoons, which often result in destructive floods and landslides.
