14/Sep/2018 14:38 UTC

This report is an update of the first report (issued on 12 September). Tropical Cyclone MANGKHUT (OMPONG in the Philippines) is currently approaching the northern Philippines as a very intense Typhoon. It is expected to reach the eastern coast of Cagayan Province on 14 September evening (UTC) with max. sustained winds up to 260-270 km/h (equivalent to a Category 5 in the Saffir Simpson Hurricane Scale). After the landfall in Philippines it is forecast to cross northern Luzon and start moving over the South China Sea, still as an intense Typhoon. It could reach the south-western coastal areas of Guangdong, near Yangjiang, west of Hong Kong / Macau on 16 September morning (UTC), still as a Typhoon (max. sustained winds up to 200 km/h). In China, extreme high levels of storm surge are expected (more than 3.1 m), in particular in the area of Zhanjiang. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is following the event through the information automatically collected and analysed in the Global Disasters Alerts and Coordination System (GDACS). GDACS issued a RED alert on 7th September for potential disaster in the Philippines and in China. The Copernicus Emergency Response Mapping service was activated by ERCC on 14 September for several locations in the northern Philippines.

12/Sep/2018 13:47 UTC

Tropical Cyclone MANGKHUT (OMPONG in the Philippines) passed over Rota island (Northern Mariana Islands) in the morning (UTC) of 10 September, as an intense Typhoon. During its passage, strong winds (max. sustained winds 170-180 km/h ), heavy rainfall (over 200 mm) and storm surge (about 0.5 m) affected the Northern Mariana Islands, especially the southern Islands of Rota, Tinian and Saipan, as well as Guam, causing power outages and, according to media, some local flooding. Afterwards it continued moving west-northwest over the Philippine Sea, strengthening and entering the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on 12 September morning (UTC). MANGKHUT is forecast to reach the coast of north-eastern Philippines (Cagayan province, Babuyan islands) on 14 September, as a very intense Typhoon (winds up to 260 km/h , rainfall greater than 500 mm, storm surge about 1 m), and the coast of south-western Guangdong (China), west of Hong Kong and Macau, on 16 September, still as a Typhoon. However the uncertainty of the forecast track/intensity is still very high. It should be noted that the heavy rainfall could affect several areas of northern Philippines, already affected just few days ago by the Tropical Cyclone BARIJAT (NENENG in the Philippines), that is currently moving west over the South China Sea and is forecast to reach the area of Zhanjiang on 12 September evening (UTC) and the coast of northern Vietnam on 13 September, as a Tropical Depression. Heavy rain, winds and storm surge could affect these areas during its passage. The same areas will be affected again on 16-17 September by the passage of MANGKHUT. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is following the event through the information automatically collected and analysed in the Global Disasters Alerts and Coordination System (GDACS). GDACS issued a RED alert for TC MANGKHUT in Guam and Northern Mariana Islands on 7 September for the possible impact in the Philippines. TC BARIJAT is currently classified as GREEN alert in the same system. The Copernicus Emergency Response Mapping service was activated by ERCC on request of the US FEMA on 10 September for Guam and The Northern Mariana Islands. The Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operation Center (NDRRMOC) raised his alert level to RED at 8:00AM of 11th September local time. Preparedness measures have been identified.

18/Sep/2018 07:25 UTC