Super Typhoon Mawar Approaches Land With Unpredictability

"Super Typhoon Mawar is moving west across the Pacific Ocean and heading towards the Philippines. The super typhoon is moving at a speed of 22 km/h, with maximum sustained winds of 225 km/h" - The New York Times quoted the US Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

This wind speed is equivalent to the strength of a strong Category 4 hurricane in the US.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Meteorological Agency said that as of this morning (May 28), the center of storm Mawar was about 800 km east of Luzon, the largest and most populous island in the Philippines.

In this Southeast Asian country, typhoon Mawar is known as Betty.

Siêu bão Mawar tiến sát đất liền với sự khó lường - Ảnh 1.

Community welfare workers and volunteers prepare relief goods for possible evacuees from Super Typhoon Mawar in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines on May 27. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

Weather forecasters say Typhoon Betty is likely to make landfall in the northern Philippines and begin to weaken early next week.

"Heavy rains, flooding, landslides and strong winds may occur in northern Luzon today or tomorrow, May 29. Some areas of the Philippines are also forecast to receive nearly 100 mm of rain by the morning of May 30," the Philippine weather agency predicted.

As Super Typhoon Mawar continues to head north and then northeast, the impact on Taiwan, mainland China and South Korea is likely to be minimal. However, depending on a number of factors, the storm could move further west to Taiwan or northwest to Japan.

As the storm moves north, either toward or away from Japan, it is expected to weaken next week.

Super Typhoon Mawar strengthened after briefly weakening as it passed over the US island of Guam on May 24, dumping heavy rain and strong winds on the island, uprooting trees and blowing away roofs and cars.

The Guam Electric Power Authority confirmed that nearly all of the island's 52,000 homes and businesses were without power, with only 1,000 having power.

No casualties have been reported but there has been extensive property damage, with localised flooding, falling debris and downed power lines. Flights will be affected as Typhoon Mawar moves towards the Philippines and Taiwan (China).

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