Typhoon Maysak set to enter PAR Wednesday

MANILA, Philippines – An approaching typhoon will bring rains over Luzon beginning this weekend, although the typhoon is expected to weaken as it nears land, according to the weather bureau.

The typhoon with international name Maysak is on track to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Wednesday, April 1, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has said.

Once it enters Philippine territory, the typhoon will be named Chedeng.

“It will reach its peak intensity by the time it enters PAR by Wednesday, then it will either maintain its strength or weaken as it nears land,” Pagasa meteorologist Glaiza Escullar said on Monday.

She said while the northeast monsoon, which has been bringing cold winds and has been seen to cease this week, the vertical wind shear affecting Luzon would weaken the typhoon.

Stormy weather will be felt by Saturday, first in the Bicol region followed by Central Luzon and then northern Luzon, according to forecast presented by Escullar.

At about 2,200 kilometers east of Mindanao as of Monday, March 30, the typhoon picked up strength with sustained winds of up to 140 kilometers per hour (from 130 kph on Sunday) and gusts up to 170 kph (from 160 kph).

It also picked up speed to 23 kph (from 20 kph) as it moved west across the Pacific Ocean.

Pagasa said it was not unusual to have a typhoon in April, the height of the dry season, as records showed the country had experienced at least one typhoon during this month in previous years. SFM