Two or three tropical cyclones to hit RP this month

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Administration (PAGASA) is expecting two or three tropical cyclones to pass through the country’s territory this month.

But Dr. Nathaniel Cruz, PAGASA’s Weather Bureau chief, said the agency could not yet determine which of these cyclones would directly hit the Philippines.

"What we are saying is that two or three tropical cyclones will enter the ‘Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).’ Our bakuran (yard) extends 1,500 kilometers east of the country," he said in an interview during a conference at the Philippine National Red Cross.

Tropical cyclone is a general term for extreme weather conditions. It can be a tropical depression (with winds below 62 kilometers per hour), a storm (63 to 117 kph), a typhoon (117 to 200 kph), or a super typhoon (above 200 kph).

From June to December, PAGASA forecasts 14 to 20 tropical cyclones to enter the PAR. So far, three — Agaton, Basyang and Caloy — have already reached the Philippines.

"Most of the typhoons from June to September do not usually hit the Philippines. The ‘hanging habagat’ (southwest monsoon) is pushing the typhoons to Taiwan, Japan or China. We have to be thankful for that. It’s God’s will," Cruz said.

However, he said even if a typhoon is only passing through the PAR, parts of the country will experience heavy rainfall brought by the southwest monsoon.

"We still have to be careful during these months. Although the typhoon is far, we can still experience rains because of southwest monsoon," Cruz said in Filipino.

For the months of June, July and August the areas most affected by typhoons are northern Luzon and extreme northern Luzon. In September, central Luzon also becomes affected.

Cruz said that during the months of October, November and December, one or two typhoons usually crash into the Philippines, affecting Luzon and the Visayas.

"Mindanao is hardly affected by typhoons, only once every 12 years. They are lucky, because Mindanao is situated near the equator and typhoons do not form near the equator. There are laws of physics that dictate it cannot happen there," he said.

Cruz added that if the political conditions in Mindanao would only change, its agriculture would thrive because there are no typhoons to worry about.