After being almost stationary, Typhoon “Ineng” is now expected to move at 9 kilometers per hour in a north-northeast direction. At 8:00 AM today, it was last spotted at 140 kilometers northeast of Calayan, Cagayan with maximum sustained winds of 160 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 195 kilometers per hour.

PAGASA Weather Forecaster Meno Mendoza says if it maintains current speed and direction, it will possibly exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Monday morning. Mendoza also explains that the change of direction has influenced the pace of Ineng.

Storm signals are still up over some areas of Northern Luzon.

Stormy weather will prevail in Batanes, Ilocos Norte, Apayao and Cagayan, including Calayan and Babuyan Group of Islands. The provinces of Isabela, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Abra and Ilocos Sur will experience rains with gusty winds.

As Ineng prevails, the enhanced habagat will continue to dump monsoon rains over Metro Manila, Benguet, La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales and Bataan. Occasional rains are expected over the rest of Luzon, and Western and Central Visayas. Mindanao will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated thunderstorms.

Meanwhile, strong to gale force winds associated with habagat will cause rough to very rough sea conditions in the seaboards of Luzon and the eastern seaboard of Visayas. Wave height ranging from 3.4 to 4.5 meters and winds of 52 to 63 kilometers per hour are expected over the said areas.

Over the past few days, PAGASA has recorded high rainfall in some areas in Northern Luzon. These rains were brought by the combined effect of the typhoon and enhanced habagat.

Compared to the previous days, Typhoon “Ineng” has decelerated further, now moving west-northwest at 7 kilometers per hour. At 1:00PM today, it was last spotted at 110 kilometers east of Calayan, Cagayan. Ineng maintains stregth with maximum sustained winds of 170 kilometer per hour and gustiness of up to 205 kilometers per hour.

At the current velocity, PAGASA Weather Forecaster Aldczar Aurelio says it will move closer or may make landfall over any part of Batanes Group of Islands this evening. If it maintains speed and direction, it is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Monday morning.

However, as the ridge of the high pressure area directs its course, changes may still occur. PAGASA advises the public that whether it would hit the land or not, it can directly affect the areas which are under the public storm warning signal. These include the following:

PAGASA advises the residents of the above mentioned areas to be alert against possible flash flood, landslide and storm surge mostly over the areas under signal number 3 and 2.

Stormy weather will prevail over Batanes, Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Kalinga, Apayao, Abra, Cagayan including Calayan and Babuyan Group of Islands. The rest of Cordillera and the provinces of La Union and Ilocos Sur will experience rains with gusty winds.

Meanwhile due to the enhanced habagat, monsoon rains will be dumped over Pangasinan, Zambales, Pampanga and Bataan. Occasional rains are expected over Metro Manila, Western Visayas and the rest of Luzon. The rest of Visayas will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms while Mindanao will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with chances of isolated thunderstorms.

Gale warning is still up over the eastern seaboard of Central and Southern Luzon, along with the eastern seaboard of Visayas. Fishing boats and other small sea craft are not allowed to venture into the sea as rough to very rough sea condition is expected.

Yesterday noon, the typhoon with international name “Goni” entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and was given a local name “Ineng”, the second tropical cyclone for August 2015. Based on the latest location from PAGASA, it was at approximately 865 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan at 8:00 this morning.

Ineng has maintained strength, now with maximum sustained winds of 180 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 215 kilometers per hour. Moving west, its speed remains at 25 kilometers per hour.

PAGASA Weather Forecaster Aldczar Aurelio says if it maintains speed and direction, it will possibly make landfall over Batanes area on Friday or Saturday. However, the public is advised to monitor updates as habagat could prevail as it nears the landmass.

Storm Signal Number 1 is now up over the Batanes Group of Islands and Cagayan, including Calayan and the Babuyan Group of Islands, where winds of 30 to 60 kilometers per hour are expected in 36 hours. Residents are also alerted against rains with gusty winds.

Meanwhile, due to habagat, occasional rains will be experienced over Palawan, Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula while cloudy skies will bring light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms over Cordillera, Ilocos Region, provinces of Isabela, Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya. Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated thunderstorms.

Gale warning is up over the eastern seaboard of Luzon due to the strong to gale force winds associated with the typhoon Ineng. These include Isabela, Aurora, the eastern coast of Camarines provinces, Catanduanes, eastern coast of Albay and eastern coast of Sorsogon. Sea travel is risky for fishing boats and other small seacraft as wave height could reach 3.4 to 4.5 meters.

Typhoon “Atsani”, on the other hand, was estimated at more than 3,000 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan. It moves northwest at 20 kilometers per hour. With its current track, PAGASA Weather Forecaster Jori Loiz says it has a slim chance of entering the PAR.

For more information, watch PANAHON TV’s interview with PAGASA Weather Forecaster Jori Loiz:

We often hear weather reporters talk about humidity, but what is it?

Meteorologist Chris Perez of PAGASA explains that humidity is the amount of moisture in the air. If the humidity is high, the atmosphere is saturated. Therefore, thunderstorms and rain showers are likely to be experienced.

When humidity is high, which ranges between 70 to 100%, we may experience the following:

Sticky feeling
Warm air holds more moisture, and because the air is saturated, our sweat does not evaporate, and instead, sticks to our skin. This way, we feel hot and sticky because we are deprived of sweat evaporation, which is our body’s cooling mechanism.

That’s why we feel cooler during the northeast monsoon or amihan season, which falls on October to February. During this time of year, the wind is dry and cold; therefore, relative humidity is low. The sweat that comes out from our bodies easily evaporates, cooling us down.

Curly hair goes wild.
High humidity can be disastrous to curly hair. Excessive amounts of water in the air may cause curly hair to look less shiny and frizzier. Hair may even swell and stretch, and may be prone to breakage.

But effects may vary, depending on your curl pattern. As hair absorbs water vapor, your tresses are more hydrated. And if it’s not too overwhelmingly humid, curly hair may look more defined and bouncy.

Attack of diseases
While dry air may lead to dry skin, as well as irritated sinuses and throats, warm and moist air may lead to the proliferation of molds, viruses, fungi, bacteria and dust-mites. So make sure you conduct your regular home cleaning as these humidity-friendly elements may trigger or aggravate respiratory ailments.

Asthma attacks
When relative humidity and temperatures soar, breathing can be difficult, especially for those with asthma cases. According to the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, breathing in extremely hot air at around 48 degrees Celsius may trigger asthma attacks.

Hot or humid—which is which?
These two terms, though both beginning with the letter H, are not interchangeable. While heat refers to the temperature, humidity refers to the amount of moisture or water vapor in the air.

Though extreme humidity may lead to discomfort, a planet without humidity would not be inhabitable by humans. There would be no clouds, thunderstorms and even fog.

So before going out, make sure to check the daily humidity and temperature. Being exposed to high humidity and temperatures makes us prone to heat-related illness such as dehydration, heat stroke and heat exhaustion. On these days, it’s best to stay indoors.

Every year, when the rainy season begins, a new weather system also begins to affect the country. This is the southwest monsoon, locally known as “habagat,” which is also one of the criteria of PAGASA before they officially declare the rainy season. (Related article: http://panahon.tv/blog/2015/06/its-official-tag-ulan-is-here/)

In Philippine Mythology, Habagat is the god of winds, who rules the kingdom of silver and gold in the sky or the whole Himpapawirin. Habagat is also considered to be another elemental god, the Southwest Wind.

In order to win the hand of the very lovely Amihan (Northeast Wind), Habagat joined a contest of force and speed against the other gods of winds. He defeated them all, including his fiercest rival Buhawi (Typhoon). Later, Habagat brought his beloved Amihan to the Himpapawiran.

In other myths, Habagat is also referred to as the god of rain, and is often associated with the rainy season, which is characterized by frequent heavy rains and storms, and a prevailing wind from the west.
When it comes to meteorology, habagat is a weather system that is composed of warm and moist winds moving in a southwest direction.

Due to these characteristics, it is a major factor in cloud formation, basically activated by heat and moisture. Habagat causes monsoon rains that could last for a couple of days or even a week.

When a weather disturbance approaches or moves closer to the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), it enhances the habagat, which dump rains mostly over the western section of Luzon and Visayas.

In September 2009, Tropical Storm “Ondoy” enhanced the habagat that resulted to severe flooding in different parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila. Within 24 hours, it dumped more than 400 millimeters of rain.

Last year, enhanced by Tropical Storm Mario, the habagat poured more than 200 millimeters of rain recorded at the PAGASA Science Garden, Quezon City.

This rainy season, we have to remember that whether a tropical cyclone hits the landmass or not, it can still have the power to enhance the habagat. So don’t underestimate the habagat; make it a habit to monitor updates and prepare for the changing weather.

Sources:

PAGASA-DOST
http://www.philippinestamps.net/

Typhoon “Goni” is now moving closer to the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). Based on the latest location from PAGASA, it was estimated at 1,530 kilometers east of Luzon with maximum sustained winds of 170 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 205 kilometers per hour. It has slightly accelerated, now moving west-northwest at 25 kilometers per hour.

PAGASA Weather Forecaster Glaiza Escullar says that if it maintains its current velocity, it will possibly enter the PAR today, probably in the afternoon. Once it enters our boundary, it will be called by its local name, “Ineng.”

Meanwhile, according to PAGASA Weather Forecaster Manny Mendoza, this typhoon still has the chance of making a landfall over extreme Northern Luzon, possibly over Batanes or the Cagayan area on or before Friday.

Mendoza added that as the typhoon nears the country, habagat will be enhanced, bringing rains over the western sections of Mindanao, Visayas and Luzon. Whether Goni hits the land or not, it will indirectly affect the country due to the surge of habagat.

Escullar advises the public to monitor updates and further development as public storm warning signals could be raised over some parts of Northern and Central Luzon.

Goni has no effect yet on any part of the country, but the prevailing Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) will still dump light to moderate rains over Visayas and Palawan. The rest of the country including Metro Manila can expect generally fair weather aside from the isolated thunderstorms.

On the other hand, another typhoon moves just behind Goni. As of 8:00 AM today, “Atsani” was located at approximately 3,740 kilometers east of Luzon. Packing winds of up to 160 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 195 kilometers per hour, it moves west-northwest, slightly slower than Goni, at 20 kilometers per hour. As of now, the probability of it entering the PAR remains slim.

In our country prone to disasters, typhoons come and go. But some of these typhoons are not easily forgotten because of the havoc they’ve wreaked to lives and property.

One of which is Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) that made landfall last November 8, 2013. Considered as one of the planet’s most catastrophic storms, Yolanda affected millions of people, killing thousands, and destroying infrastructure worth billions of pesos in the Philippines alone. The typhoon also affected other countries, such as Micronesia, Palau, Southern China and Vietnam.

Because a typhoon can affect more than one country, an international name needs to be assigned for the easy reference and monitoring by various weather and media groups across the globe. An international name also creates recall among all nations, allowing for the easy identification of its strength and impact.

In the same way that the name Yolanda triggers a host of sad memories for us, Filipinos, the name Haiyan also conjures devastating images for the rest of humanity. According to Dr. Jeff Masters, Haiyan maintained winds of 190 to 195 miles per hour (mph) at landfall, making it the strongest tropical cyclone on record to make landfall in global history. The previous record was held by the Atlantic’s Hurricane Camille of 1969, which made landfall in Mississippi with wind speeds of 190 mph.

Listed below are some of the World’s Strongest Typhoons

Super Typhoon Nancy (1961), 215 mph winds, 882 mb. Made landfall as a Cat 2 in Japan, killing 191 people.
Super Typhoon Violet (1961), 205 mph winds, 886 mb pressure. Made landfall in Japan as a tropical storm, killing 2 people.
Super Typhoon Ida (1958), 200 mph winds, 877 mb pressure. Made landfall as a Cat 1 in Japan, killing 1269 people.
Super Typhoon Haiyan (2013), 195 mph winds, 895 mb pressure. Made landfall in the Philippines at peak strength.
Super Typhoon Kit (1966), 195 mph winds, 880 mb. Did not make landfall.
Super Typhoon Sally (1964), 195 mph winds, 895 mb. Made landfall as a Cat 4 in the Philippines.

In this regard, a new list of Asian names was contributed by all the member nations of the World Meteorological Organization‘s (WMO) Typhoon Committee in January 1, 2000. Majority of the names includes flowers, animals, birds, trees, food and adjectives. A typhoon name is retired when it has caused massive death and damages. Below is the list of names for developing tropical cyclones in the Northwest-Pacific basin within a six-year time frame. The assigned international names for 2016 typhoons can be found on column IV.

The corresponding meanings of the names are listed below:

Sources:

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2573
http://coast.noaa.gov/hes/docs/postStorm/H_CAMILLE.pdf
http://www.jma.go.jp/en/typh
https://www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/news/wmo-community-mobilizes-for-haiyan_en.html

As of now, the country remains “bagyo-free” but rains could still be experienced over some areas due to the prevailing Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). This weather system will bring cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms over Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, CARAGA and Davao Region. Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated thunderstorms.

The ITCZ is characterized as an area where winds coming from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres meet. PAGASA Weather Forecaster Meno Mendoza says the ITCZ could affect the country until Monday.

Meanwhile, the tropical depression outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) has intensified further and developed into a tropical storm. Now with the international name “Goni,” it was estimated at approximately 2,650 kilometers east of Southern Luzon.

Mendoza says it moves west-northwest at 15 kilometers per hour and will possibly enter the PAR by Wednesday. Once it enters the boundary, it will be given a local name “Ineng.” Despite the high chance of entering the PAR, Mendoza clarifies that there is a slim chance of it hitting the landmass. However, it could enhance the southwest monsoon or “hanging habagat.”

On the other hand, another tropical storm with international name “Atsani” was spotted at 4,270 kilometers east of Central Luzon. Though it is still too farm the weather bureau will continue monitoring the said disturbance.

The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) will bring light to moderate rain showers over Mindanao today.

Meanwhile, due to the wind convergence MIMAROPA, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Rizal will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers. The rest of the country will experience fair weather apart from localized thunderstorms.

In other news, the weather disturbance outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) has developed into a tropical depression. PAGASA says that this cyclone may possibly enter Philippine boundary next week.

Metro Manila Rains

Rain showers experienced in Metro Manila was brought by cumulonimbus clouds, a type of thunderstorm cloud that brings rain showers which persist for 2 to 3 hours.

According to PAGASA, 23 out of 31 days of August, rain showers will prevail. Compared to the month of July, August will bring more rains in the country.