Super typhoon Soudelor to spare Philippines – Pagasa

MANILA, Philippines - Typhoon Soudelor was forecast to intensify into a super typhoon within the next 24 hours but is likely to spare the country from its wrath, the state weather bureau said yesterday.

Soudelor – the strongest tropical cyclone yet of 2015 – is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility today and will be locally named Hanna.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the eye of the typhoon was located at 1,720 kilometers east of Luzon with maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 250 kph.

It was forecast to move west northwest at 20 kph.

Chris Perez, weather forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said Soudelor was not expected to make landfall and would only pass near the northeastern border of the country.

Perez, however, said the typhoon may enhance the southwest monsoon and bring occasional rains in most parts of the country.

He said light to moderate rains would be experienced in Palawan, the Visayas and Mindanao starting tonight or early Thursday.

Rains would affect the western section of Luzon, including Metro Manila. Soudelor was forecast to exit the Philippine area of responsibility on Saturday, Perez said.