Typhoon Goring strengthens again, dumps rain in Northern Luzon

MANILA, Philippines – Typhoon Goring (Saola) was bringing heavy rain to parts of Northern Luzon, especially the provinces of Cagayan and Isabela, on Saturday, August 26.

The typhoon was last spotted 145 kilometers east northeast of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, at 4 pm on Saturday. It is moving south at only 10 kilometers per hour (km/h).

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) also said in a briefing past 5 pm on Saturday that Goring continued to intensify.

The typhoon’s maximum sustained winds slightly increased from 150 km/h to 155 km/h on Saturday afternoon. Its gustiness is now up to 190 km/h from the previous 185 km/h.

Eventually, Goring may become a super typhoon on Monday, August 28 – a regular holiday in the country for National Heroes Day. A super typhoon has maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h or above.

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With Goring bringing rain even as it stays offshore, PAGASA stressed that floods and landslides are possible. Below is the weather bureau’s latest rainfall forecast for the next 48 hours.

Saturday afternoon, August 26, to Sunday afternoon, August 27

100-200 millimeters (mm): mainland Cagayan, Isabela
50-100 mm: Babuyan Islands, Aurora, Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, northern part of Quezon including Polillo Islands

Sunday afternoon, August 27, to Monday afternoon, August 28

100-200 mm: eastern part of mainland Cagayan, eastern part of Isabela
50-100 mm: Babuyan Islands, rest of mainland Cagayan, rest of Isabela, Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Aurora, northern part of Quezon including Polillo Islands

Meanwhile, several areas have been added to those covered by Signal No. 1, while those under Signal Nos. 2 and 3 have been maintained. Here is the complete list of areas under tropical cyclone wind signals as of 5 pm on Saturday:

Signal No. 3

Storm-force winds (89 to 117 km/h), moderate to significant threat to life and property

northeastern part of Cagayan (Santa Ana)
extreme eastern part of Isabela (Divilacan, Palanan)

Signal No. 2

Gale-force winds (62 to 88 km/h), minor to moderate threat to life and property

eastern part of Isabela (Dinapigue, San Mariano, Ilagan City, Maconacon, Cabagan, Tumauini, San Pablo)
eastern part of Cagayan (Peñablanca, Baggao, Gattaran, Lal-lo, Gonzaga, Santa Teresita, Buguey)
northern part of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran)

Signal No. 1

Strong winds (39 to 61 km/h), minimal to minor threat to life and property

Batanes
rest of Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
northern and central parts of Aurora (Dinalungan, Dipaculao, Baler, Maria Aurora, San Luis)
Quirino
rest of Isabela
Apayao
Nueva Vizcaya
Ifugao
Mountain Province
Kalinga
Abra
eastern part of Ilocos Norte (Pagudpud, Adams, Vintar, Carasi, Nueva Era, Banna, Marcos, Dingras, Solsona, Piddig, Dumalneg, Bangui)
Polillo Islands
eastern part of Benguet (Bokod, Buguias, Kabayan, Mankayan)
eastern part of Nueva Ecija (Carranglan, Pantabangan, Bongabon, Gabaldon, Laur, Rizal)
Calaguas Islands

For coastal waters, PAGASA issued a new gale warning at 5 pm on Saturday. Rough to very rough seas are seen in these seaboards:

northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Luzon as well as eastern seaboard of Central Luzon (Batanes, northern coast of Ilocos Norte, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Isabela, Aurora) – waves 2.8 to 5 meters high
eastern seaboard of Southern Luzon (northern coast of Quezon including Polillo Islands) – waves 2.8 to 4.5 meters high

PAGASA advised fishing boats and other small vessels not to sail, and larger vessels to watch out for big waves.

The weather bureau sees Goring heading south to southeast in the next 24 hours or until Sunday, August 27, before turning east northeast to northeast on Monday.

Afterwards, it will “exit its looping path” and move northwest on Tuesday, August 29, toward the sea east of Taiwan, which is within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

By late Monday or early Tuesday, “upwelling of cooler waters due to its slow movement will limit further intensification,” added PAGASA.

Goring is also enhancing the southwest monsoon or habagat.

Occasional rain from the enhanced southwest monsoon is hitting Zambales, Bataan, and Occidental Mindoro, while scattered rain showers and thunderstorms are expected in Metro Manila, Calabarzon, the rest of Mimaropa, the rest of Central Luzon, and Western Visayas.

In other parts of the Visayas and Mindanao, there may be isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

The enhanced southwest monsoon will also trigger gusty conditions in these areas:

Saturday, August 26

Bataan, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Bicol, most of Mimaropa

Sunday, August 27

Bataan, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Visayas, Dinagat Islands, Camiguin

Monday, August 28

Bataan, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Visayas, Dinagat Islands, Camiguin, most of Zamboanga Peninsula

Goring is the Philippines’ seventh tropical cyclone for 2023 and the first for August.

PAGASA previously said it expects two or three tropical cyclones to develop within or enter PAR in August.

A low pressure area (LPA) also remains outside PAR, located 2,140 kilometers east of Central Luzon on Saturday afternoon.

The LPA has no impact on the country, but it continues to be monitored. – Rappler.com