Super typhoon Champi to head for Taiwan next weekend, may affect northernmost PH

MANILA — Tropical cyclone Champi, which intensified into a super typhoon early Sunday, is forecast to head for Taiwan by the end of next week, according to PAGASA.

At 10 a.m., the super typhoon was located 2,090 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon, outside the Philippine area of responsibility.

It had maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour, with gustiness up to 230 kph and was moving westward at 25 kph.

Champi is expected to enter the PAR on Tuesday, October 20, morning or afternoon and will be then assigned the local name Rosal.

Rosal is less likely to make landfall over any part of the country.

It will move northwestward over the Philippine Sea and may slightly weaken before approaching Taiwan.

Due to the expanse of the super typhoon’s wind field, wind signals may be raised over parts of Bicol Region and Northern Luzon as early as Monday evening or Tuesday morning.

The storm’s trough or extension may also bring scattered rains over the eastern parts of the country.

For Extreme Northern Luzon, much worse conditions are expected on Thursday and Friday.

Very strong winds up to signal no. 3 or 4 strength and heavy to intense rainfall may be experienced in Batanes and Babuyan Islands.

Rosal may exit the PAR on Saturday, October 24.

This Sunday, the prevailing weather systems are the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) over Palawan and western Mindanao and the humid Easterlies over the rest of the country.

Cloudy skies with scattered rains are expected in Palawan, Zamboanga Peninsula, Basilan, Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, as well as in Quezon and Camarines Norte.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be warm and humid with likely isolated rain showers or localized thunderstorms in the afternoon or evening.

The country remains in a transition period toward the Amihan season, which could begin late October or early November because of El Niño.

The weather bureau earlier said that the prevailing strong to very strong El Niño over the tropical Pacific Ocean may peak in December and could result in a drier and warmer Amihan season.