CHAMPI has regained super typhoon status and may prompt the hoisting of storm signal No. 3 over parts of Luzon, bringing potentially life-threatening winds, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Monday.
The storm re-intensified into a super typhoon at around 2 p.m., packing maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 230 kph, PAGASA said in its 5 p.m. press briefing.
It was last located 1,525 kilometers east of Southeastern Luzon, moving west-northwestward at 15 kph.
“Based on our forecast track, Champi is likely to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) by tomorrow morning or afternoon,” PAGASA weather specialist Charmagne Marie Varilla said during the press briefing in Filipino.
Once it enters PAR, it will be given the local name Rosal, the country’s 18th tropical cyclone this year.
PAGASA said the super typhoon may prompt the hoisting of Signal No. 2 and Signal No. 3 over the northern and eastern portions of Luzon and parts of the Bicol Region, it said in a separate 5 p.m. storm advisory.
The storm signals may be raised as early as Monday evening or Tuesday morning in anticipation of the super typhoon’s effects.
Under Signal No. 3, storm winds may pose a significant threat to life and property, according to the bureau’s website.
Currently, super typhoon Champi is not directly affecting the country, but its trough is already bringing rains to Catanduanes, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar, with possible flooding and landslides.
As for its forecast track, Champi has a low chance of making a direct landfall in any part of the country and may weaken into a typhoon again. It is then expected to exit PAR by Saturday.
PAGASA said moderate to rough sea conditions are expected to develop along the northern and eastern seaboards of the Visayas and Mindanao on Tuesday.
The bureau is expected to issue a gale warning for rough seas starting Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning to alert affected fisherfolk and residents. — Edg Adrian A. Eva