MANILA, Philippines – Carina (Gaemi) weakened from a typhoon into a severe tropical storm over the southeastern part of China on Thursday evening, July 25, while still enhancing the southwest monsoon or habagat in the Philippines.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its 11 pm bulletin on Thursday that Carina was located 630 kilometers north northwest of Itbayat, Batanes, moving northwest at 15 kilometers per hour (km/h).
Carina’s maximum sustained winds are already down to 110 km/h, with gustiness of up to 185 km/h. When it was inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), it reached its peak intensity as a super typhoon, with maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h.
Carina had left PAR on Thursday morning. It did not make landfall in the Philippines, but still affected parts of Northern Luzon and has been enhancing the southwest monsoon. Its first landfall was in Taiwan, which is within PAR, followed by its final landfall in China.
The remaining tropical cyclone wind signal in effect, Signal No. 1 for Batanes, was lifted only at 11 pm on Thursday. Signal No. 2 was the highest tropical cyclone wind signal raised due to Carina.
Due to the enhanced southwest monsoon, four provinces in Luzon are still expected to have moderate to heavy rain (50-100 millimeters) on Friday, July 26. Three of those provinces may see the same weather conditions until Saturday, July 27.
Friday, July 26
- Zambales, Bataan, Pangasinan, Benguet
Saturday, July 27
- Zambales, Bataan, Pangasinan
PAGASA advised the affected provinces to remain on alert for floods and landslides. The enhanced southwest monsoon had caused massive floods in parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila, which is among the areas under a state of calamity.
Strong to gale-force gusts from the enhanced southwest monsoon will persist in these regions and provinces as well:
Friday, July 26
- Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, eastern part of Isabela, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Negros Occidental, Northern Samar
Saturday, July 27
- Batanes, Ilocos Region, Zambales, Bataan, Marinduque, Romblon, Kalayaan Islands
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Meanwhile, another gale warning was issued at 5 pm on Thursday for Batanes (waves 3.7 to 4.5 meters high) as well as Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and the northwestern part of Cagayan (waves 2.8 to 4.5 meters high). Travel remains risky for small boats due to rough to very rough seas.
Aside from areas under the gale warning, the following seaboards should still be avoided by small vessels:
- western seaboard of Central Luzon – rough seas (waves 2.5 to 4 meters high)
- northern and western seaboards of Northern Luzon outside gale warning areas as well as western seaboard of Southern Luzon – moderate to rough seas (waves 1.5 to 4 meters high)
- eastern seaboard of Northern Luzon – moderate to rough seas (waves 1.5 to 3.5 meters high)
- eastern seaboards of Central Luzon and Southern Luzon as well as southern seaboard of Southern Luzon – up to moderate seas (waves 1 to 2.5 meters high)
- western and eastern seaboards of the Visayas as well as eastern seaboard of Mindanao – up to moderate seas (waves 1 to 2 meters high)
Carina was the Philippines’ third tropical cyclone for 2024 and the second for July. PAGASA previously estimated there may be two or three tropical cyclones during the month.
The weather bureau also announced that a low pressure area (LPA) formed inside PAR at 2 pm on Thursday.
The LPA was located 985 kilometers east of southeastern Mindanao as of 3 pm, still too far to have any effect on the country.
PAGASA Weather Specialist Ana Clauren-Jorda said the LPA only has a slim chance of developing into a tropical cyclone within 24 to 48 hours, but the weather bureau will be providing updates as needed. – Rappler.com