CLARK FREE PORT—Five new classifications for weather disturbances entering the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) have been adopted by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomic al Services Administration (Pagasa) beginning this month.
Dr. Esperanza Cayanan, Pagasa weather division chief, made the announcement during the media forum “Inn the News” at the Rodizio Restaurant of the Holiday Inn here, organized by the Capampangan in Media Inc., in cooperation with the Clark Development Corp.,Social Security System and the hotel, last Friday.
Cayanan said the new system of classification by the weather bureau will be immediately reflected in the initials preceding the name of the particular weather disturbance.
The five new categories for weather disturbances are tropical depression, or TD, with maximum wind velocity of about 61 kilometers per hour (kph); tropical storm, or TS, with wind maximum wind velocity of 62 to 88 kph; severe tropical storm, or STS, with maximum wind velocity of 89 to 117 kph; typhoon, or TY, with maximum wind velocity of 118 to 220 kph; and super typhoon, or STY, with maximum wind velocity of over 220 kph.
Beginning this month, Cayanan said, Pagasa will be affixing the said initials before the names of the weather disturbances entering the PAR.
Cayanan explained that if the name of a super typhoon is Dodong, it would be referred to as STY Dodong in weather advisories.
However, she added that public storm- warning signals, which indicate the wind- velocity forecast of a weather disturbance for a certain period, would remain the same.
Thus, signal no. 1 would be used to warn the public of wind velocity of 30 to 60 kph in the next 36 hours, signal no. 2 for 61 to 120 kph wind velocity within 24 hours, signal no. 3 for 121 to 170 kph wind velocity within 18 hours, signal no. 4 for 171 to 220 kph within 12 hours and signal no. 5 for wind velocity of 220 kph or more within 12 hours.
Cayanan clarified that PAGASA can still raise the signal alert shorter than the time projections if the need is warranted.
She also said the El Niño phenomenon is expected to affect the country in the coming months, even as she cited forecast that the country would be experiencing more weather disturbances by the last quarter of this year.