Super Typhoon Surigae continues to affect the Philippines with strong winds, rain and heavy seas after intensifying to a Category 5 system over the weekend.

Published 3 years ago

Super Typhoon Surigae  (or Typhoon Bising in the Philippines) passed east of the Philippines on Sunday and was close enough to bring dangerously high surf, heavy rain and gusty winds to eastern and northeastern portions of the country, including the eastern Visayas and Bicol region.

The Philippines News Agency (PNA) reported that “Bising” was moving north-northwestwards at 10 kilometers per hour, packing maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour (kph) near its center and gusts of up to 240 kph.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) expects Surigae/Bising to be 510 km east of Baler municipality in Northern Luzon’s Aurora province on Tuesday morning.

By Wednesday morning, the typhoon may already be about 430 km east of Tuguegarao City in Northern Luzon’s Cagayan province.

First Category 5 Cyclone this year

The storm is the first Category 5 tropical cyclone (which includes hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones) to occur in 2021.   Usually the world sees about 18 Category 4 and 5 storms each year, but according to a report from the National Science Foundation this number is likely to increase due to the effects of anthropogenic (or global) warming during the rest of the 21st century.

Of interest to climate watchers is the fact that Surigae went from a 90-mph Category 1 storm Friday to a 180-mph Category 5 super typhoon 24 hours later, a staggering rate of intensification that is more than double the criteria for rapid intensification.

Second Major Cyclone Event in two weeks

Typhoon Surigae in the northern hemisphere follows hard on the heels of Severe Tropical Cyclone Seroja in the southern hemisphere that brought historic flooding and landslides to portions of southern Indonesia and East Timor at the beginning of April.  

Due to the presence of another storm – Tropical Cyclone Odette – Seroja was steered southeast towards Australia, making landfall near the coastal town of Kalbarri.

News reports estimate that at least 229 people were killed by the storm, 183 in Indonesia, 42 in East Timor and one in Australia.

Related News:

Super Typhoon Surigae Surges in Intensity

Australia:  Kalbarri destruction from Cyclone Seroja

The Guardian:  Cyclone Seroja Aftermath

Related Links:

National Science Foundation:  Global Warming and Hurricanes

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Noonsite has not independently verified this information.