Pagasa weather specialist Benison Estareja said Mawar currently has maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour (km/h) and is still expected to further intensify in the coming days.
He said that as of 3 a.m. Thursday, Mawar was spotted at 2,150 kilometers east of southern Luzon or the Bicol region, with maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h near the center, gusts of up to 230 km/h and diameter of 78 kilometers. It was moving west northwest at 15 km/h.
He said Mawar, as of Thursday, has no direct effect to the country but rain showers may be experienced in the western section of southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao due to southwesterly wind flow or habagat in the morning of Thursday, while in the afternoon and evening, more areas are expected to experience rain due to localized thunderstorms.
Mawar is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility on Friday night until the early dawn of Saturday, May 27 and it will be named “Betty.”
It may reach a peak intensity of 215 km/h on Saturday, May 27.
But Pagasa said Mawar is not expected to make a landfall in the country, noting it will further enhance habagat and will bring rain showers in most parts of the country.
“The rain bands of Betty may affect Cagayan Valley from Sunday to Tuesday. A tropical cyclone wind signal may be raised in these areas prior to the effect,” said Estareja.
Mawar was also forecast to enhance the Southwest Monsoon and may trigger monsoon rains over the western portions of Mimaropa, Visayas and Mindanao on Friday evening and Saturday and over western portions of Luzon and Visayas on Sunday onwards.
On early Thursday morning, Mawar passed over Guam under Category 4 storm with winds of up to 225 km/h and torrential rain. It damaged houses along its track and displaced several families.
The Philippine government, particularly the concerned government agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Office of the Civil Defense, among others, have prepared for the onslaught of Mawar. (SunStar Philippines)