Tropical Storm Surigae Maintains Strength, May Intensify into Typhoon

Tropical Storm Surigae, locally known as Queenie, has maintained its strength as it moved over the Philippine Sea and is likely to intensify into a typhoon by Sunday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Thursday. “By Friday afternoon, it is likely to intensify into a severe tropical storm and will further intensify into a typhoon by early Sunday morning,” PAGASA weather specialist John Manalo said during a 5:00 p.m. press briefing in Filipino. It is then expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) as a typhoon by Monday. Surigae was last located 1,205 kilometers east of Northern Luzon, packing maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 90 kph. The tropical storm is currently not directly affecting any parts of the country due to its distance and is also less likely to make landfall during its entire duration. However, its trough, or extension, is still bringing rains over the eastern portion of Mindanao. “But, its rains are not expected to be as strong compared with those we experienced in previous months,” Mr. Manalo said. Gale-force gusts are expected in Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental, and Sarangani between Friday and Saturday due to Surigae. PAGASA has not hoisted any storm wind signals in the country in relation to the weather disturbance. As the Philippines is situated within the Pacific Ring of Fire, it experiences an average of 20 typhoons annually, making early warnings and information dissemination by the weather bureau crucial for public safety and disaster risk reduction. The potential intensification of a tropical storm into a typhoon poses a direct threat to coastal and low-lying communities. Source: BusinessWorld Nation