PAGASA Sounds Alarm: 'Uwan Could Redraw Coastlines' if Super Typhoon Hits Full Force
[translate:PAGASA] warns Super Typhoon Uwan could 'redraw coastlines' and cause catastrophic damage. This powerful storm threatens to reshape the Philippine coastline and deeply impact millions of lives.
Previously known internationally as [translate:Typhoon Fung-Wong], Uwan is rapidly intensifying and may reach super-typhoon status by Sunday evening or early Monday, according to [translate:PAGASA].
Its vast size spans from the northernmost province of [translate:Batanes] down to [translate:Bohol] in the Visayas, placing a broad area of the Philippines at significant risk.
Current Conditions and Warnings
- Maximum sustained winds around 120 km/h with gusts up to 150 km/h
- Storm surges expected to reach or exceed 3 meters in low-lying coastal areas of eastern Luzon
- At-risk regions include [translate:Quezon (Polillo Islands)], [translate:Catanduanes], [translate:Albay], and [translate:Sorsogon]
The [translate:PAGASA] bulletin highlights "the highest Wind Signal" with the caution that the storm surges combined with strong winds and heavy rains “could redraw coastlines.”
An International Business Times UK report emphasizes that surges of this magnitude can flood entire villages, erode beaches, alter shorelines, and change the region’s topography.
Impacts on the Philippines
The combination of storm surge, powerful winds, and intense rainfall poses a severe threat to coastal communities, potentially causing irreversible environmental and structural damage.
"A storm surge of that magnitude, combined with strong winds and heavy rainfall, has the capacity to transform beachfronts, flood entire villages, erode shorelines, and shift topographies."
This event underscores the urgent need for preparedness as millions face the threat of a super-typhoon's devastating effects.
Summary: The intensifying Super Typhoon Uwan threatens to reshape Philippine coastlines with severe storm surges and winds, endangering millions and demanding immediate vigilance.