The cyclone has been classified as such by the state weather bureau.
At 4:00 pm on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), tropical cyclone ‘Carina’ (international name: ‘Gaemi’) has been reclassified into a super typhoon.
According to its latest observation, ‘Carina’ now packs maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour, and has reached gustiness near its center at 230 kilometers per hour.
The cylcone moves at a pace of 20 kilometers per hour, with its last location traced at 395 km north of Itbayat, Batanes.
The intensification of ‘Carina’ comes as the storm further moves into northeastern Taiwan, where it is expected to make landfall in a few hours.
Despite its eye being far from the Philippine landmass, the super typhoon continues to enhance the southwest monsoon or hanging habagat that continues to dump rains in several areas in Luzon, including Metro Manila.
STATE OF CALAMITY
In related development, the Philippines’ capital region Metro Manila has also been placed under state of calamity on Wednesday afternoon amid continued poor weather conditions brought by the monsoon and ‘Carina.’
The inclement weather also triggered widespread flooding across the metro, with some areas necessitating rescue operations after floods reached the heights of homes in several areas.