Weather Today – August 3, 2015 | Typhoon “Soudelor” to enter PAR this week

As we welcome the first week of August, a tropical cyclone threatens to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). Based on PAGASA’s data, the cyclone with international name “Soudelor” was last spotted at 2,220 kilometers east of Luzon.

Garnering winds of 160 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 195 kilometers per hour, it is expected to move west-northwest at 20 kilometers per hour. PAGASA Weather Forecaster Meno Mendoza says if it continues to behave at this velocity, Soudelor will possibly enter the PAR by Wednesday and will be given the local name “Hannah.”

As of now, there is a slim chance for the typhoon to hit the landmass. However, Mendoza alerts the public that even without a landfall activity, it is expected to enhance the southwest monsoon or “habagat”, which may bring rains over the western section of Visayas and Mindanao.

Soudelor is still too far to affect the country but rainy weather will prevail over some parts of the country due to the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). ITCZ is an area where winds coming from the northern and southern hemispheres meet. When winds converge, clouds are formed, bringing rains and thunderstorms over the affected areas. This weather system is also considered the breeding ground of low pressure area.

Mindanao, Western Visayas and the province of Palawan will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms. Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have a generally fair weather aside from the isolated thunderstorms.