Champi to re-intensify into super typhoon before PAR entry Tuesday

MANILA — Tropical cyclone Champi has slightly weakened but is expected to re-intensify into a super typhoon before entering the Philippine area of responsibility on Tuesday, according to PAGASA.

This weakening is attributed to a process called an eyewall replacement cycle, in which a new eyewall forms around the existing one. The original eyewall of an intense tropical cyclone shrinks and is replaced with a new one due to the very fast spinning of winds around the eye.

Once the cycle is completed, the tropical cyclone could regain strength and intensify further.

At 3 a.m. Monday, Champi was located 1,720 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon.

It had maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers per hour, with gustiness up to 215 kph and was moving west northwestward at 25 kph.

Once inside the PAR, Champi will be assigned the local name Rosal.

Rosal is forecast to move northwestard over the Philippine Sea and may maintain its super typhoon strength through Thursday, before weakening into a typhoon near Extreme Northern Luzon.

It may make its landfall over Taiwan on Friday and exit the PAR on Saturday.

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 super typhoon’s trough or extension may also bring scattered rains to the eastern parts of the country.

Weather conditions in Batanes and Babuyan Islands may begin to deteriorate late Wednesday.

Very strong winds equivalent to wind signal no. 3 or 4 strength, along with heavy to intense rainfall, may affect these areas, particularly on Friday.

Parts of mainland Northern Luzon may also experience rains and gusty winds from Thursday to Saturday, while Palawan, Western Visayas, Negros Island Region, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Sulu Archipelago may also have scattered rains due to the typhoon’s trough during the same period.

Meanwhile, as the super typhoon remains far from the country, the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) over Palawan and western Mindanao and the humid Easterlies over the rest of the country are the prevailing weather systems this Monday.

Cloudy skies with scattered rains are expected in Bicol Region, Quezon, MIMAROPA, Zamboanga Peninsula, Basilan, and Tawi-Tawi.

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 is still 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.