Up to 8 ‘Mario’-like cyclones to enter PH before year ends–Pagasa

By: Bong Lozada - 10 years ago

Commuters make their way through a flooded street after heavy monsoon rains spawned by tropical storm Fung-Wong (local name Mario) flooded Manila and most parts of the metropolis Friday, Sept 19, 2014 in the Philippines. AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – With 2014 approaching its last quarter, five to eight more tropical cyclones are expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility, the weather bureau said.

Weather forecaster Jerome Gatuz of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said that around 18 to 21 tropical cyclones usually hit the Philippines in a year.

Tropical Storm “Mario,” which made landfall in Northern Luzon on Friday, was the last cyclone to enter the country.

Gatuz said that cyclones similar to “Mario” and “Luis” were likely to enter the Philippines for the remainder of the year while something like Super Typhoon “Yolanda” was unlikely.

“Those kinds of cyclones like ‘Yolanda’ are very unusual and rare,” Gatuz said. “‘Yolanda’ is one unusual case, it was a super typhoon.”