‘Mawar’ has intensifies to Super Typhoon category, according to PAGASA
(MAY 23, 2023) – The Tropical Cyclone east of the Philippines has intensified to a Super Typhoon on Tuesday, based on PAGASA’s monitoring. Super Typhoon ‘Mawar,’ as it is called outside of the Philippine Area of the Responsibility, was located 2,285 km East of Visayas, Philippines on Tuesday, May 23, at 4:00 pm (Manila time). At that time, ‘Mawar’ was packing winds of up to 185 kph, and gustiness of 230 kph.
Based on its last known location, ‘Mawar’ is headed towards the island of Guam, which is now bracing for the strongest storm that the territory had in two decades. Evacuations have also been ordered in low-lying, flood-prone, and coastal areas in Guam. Based on their own local monitoring as of 11:00 pm (Manila time), ‘Mawar’ now has maximum sustained winds of up to 250 kilometers per hour and is moving northwestward at about 10 kilometers per hour.
STY ‘Mawar’ is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Friday evening. It will then be called locally as ‘Betty’ once it enters PAR. Landfall is less likely to happen in the Philippines, but it is estimated to make a “close approach” to the northern provinces of Luzon, such as Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Cagayan. In other areas in the Philippines, rains brought by the Southwest Monsoon or ‘Hanging Habagat’ is expected this weekend.