Soudelor enters PH PAR, monsoon rains remain over Mindanao

MANILA -The typhoon with international name Soudelor” has already entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and was given a local name Hanna”. At 9 AM today, the eye of the typhoon was estimated at 1,390 kilometers east of Calayan, Cagayan.Packing winds of 215 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 250 kilometers per hour, it continues to move in a west-northwest direction at 20 kilometers per hour. If it maintains speed and direction, it is expected to exit the PAR by Saturday.As of now, there is still a slim chance for Hanna to make landfall, but the enhancement of the southwest monsoon or habagat” remains. Monsoon rains will be dumped over Mindanao, where flash floods and landslides are expected. Residents are alerted, as soil may already be saturated for those areas affected by the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) during the past few days.Meanwhile, Visayas and the province of Palawan will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms. Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have generally fair weather aside from the possible isolated thunderstorms.Ashabagatprevails, rough to very rough sea conditions are expected over the seaboards of Mindanao and the eastern seaboard of Visayas. Wave height could reach 4.5 meters, thus, sea travel is risky for small seacraft.HANNA vs. YOLANDAYolanda of 2013 may be remembered as one of the strongest and destructive typhoons that made landfall on the Philippines. If we compare it with Hanna, it has the same intensity as Yolanda’s. As of now, PAGASA Weather Forecaster Meno Mendoza says both typhoons have maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 250 kilometers per hour.Despite going to the same direction (west-northwest),YolandaandHannadiffer in terms of track.Yolandatraversed the Visayas region and parts of Southern Luzon, whileHannahas a slim chance of hitting any part of the country.