MANILA, Philippines — The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) of the US Department of Defense has classified Tropical Cyclone "Florita" as a super typhoon.
The latest typhoon warning of the JTWC said Florita has one-minute maximum sustained winds of 130 knots or 240.76 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of 160 knots or 296.32 kph.
The JTWC said the super typhoon has been moving northwestward at 25.98 kilometers per hour.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) does not officially use the "super typhoon" category. According to its latest official forecast issued at 5 a.m. today, Florita has maximum sustained winds of only 185 kph and gustiness up to 220 kph.
The eye of the typhoon was located at 650 kilometers east northeast of Aparri, Cagayan at 6 a.m. It is forecast to move northwest at 24 kph.
The weather bureau had said that Florita is not expected to make landfall in the Philippines.
While no public disaster warnings have been issued, officials said Florita would enhance the southwest monsoon or "Habagat" and possibly bring heavy rains and thunderstorms to the northern Philippines.
PAGASA said Metro Manila, Western Visayas, MIMAROPA and the provinces of Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Laguna and Batangas will have monsoon rains. The rest of Luzon and of Visayas will experience occasional rains while Mindanao will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms
Moderate to strong winds blowing from the southwest will prevail over the country and the coastal waters will be moderate to rough.
Florita is the sixth storm to hit the country this year and the first of the rainy season, which began last month. About 20 typhoons and less powerful storms batter the Philippines each year, making it one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world.
The nation is still struggling to recover from Super Typhoon Yolanda, which killed at least 6,300 people, left more than 1,000 missing and displaced four million in the Visayas last November.
Threat to Japan
Weather.com.ph and AccuWeather.com also reported that Florita has strengthened into a super typhoon. Senior meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said the weather system poses a serious threat to lives and property in Japan.
AccuWeather.com added that Florita will further strengthen through Monday as it progresses through an area of very warm water and low wind shear.
Meteorologists of the weather website also expects Neoguri to still be a super typhoon when it crosses the gap between the Ryukyu Islands of Miyako Jima and Okinawa on Monday night.
"Being right of the storm track, Okinawa will likely see the worst impact from the storm Monday night with rainfall rates of 50 mm (2 inches) or greater per hour at times, sustained winds as high as 225 kph (140 mph) with occasional gusts of 290 kph (180 mph)," AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Evan Duffey said.
Westernmost parts of Okinawa, home to the United States' Kadena Air Force Base, will be at greatest risk for the strongest and most devastating winds, AccuWeather.com added. - with AP