‘Typhoon’ comes from the Chinese tái fēng and Japanese taifū, meaning “big wind.” Curiously, the Greek word for hurricane is tyfónas…’
A NEWSCAST on Thursday evening began: “The main Philippine island of Luzon braces for the impact of another tropical storm. Typhoon “Emong” is forecast to make landfall early Friday morning over the Ilocos region. The highest wind signal has been raised over parts of Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan.”
I risk nit-picking. But for the sake of accuracy, let me quibble.
First, the report already said that Emong was a typhoon. Therefore, according to Pagasa’s modified classification of tropical cyclones, it was not a tropical storm. According to that reclassification, a tropical storm packs winds from 62 to 88 kilometers per hour (km/h) and is two degrees weaker than a typhoon which carries 114-184 km/h winds.
Second, Wind Signal 4 is not the highest. There is a fifth wind signal for tropical cyclones exceeding 185 km/h.
It is apparent that the people behind that newscast could have been pressed for time, unaware or confused about how “bad weather” is operationalized. That includes yours truly, who grew up watching out for Typhoon Signals No. 1, 2 and 3, which were changed to Public Storm Warning Signals 1 through 4, and then in 2015 to its first of two five-point Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal scales.
The current categories, adopted in March 2022, are as follows:
• Wind Signal 1 – tropical depression, 39-61 km/h
• Wind Signal 2 – tropical storm, 62-88 km/h
• Wind Signal 3 – severe tropical storm, 89-117 km/h
• Wind Signal 4 – typhoon, 118-184 km/h
• Wind Signal 5 – super typhoon, 185 km/h and above. In the 2015 scale, a super typhoon began at 220 km/h. Super typhoon “Yolanda” in 2013 ravaged the Visayas, particularly Region 8, had maximum winds of 230 km/h, killing 6,300 people and injuring 28,000.
More or less, this scale conforms to World Meteorological Organization (WMO) standards. In China and Japan there are six categories, due to a “middle” typhoon which in China is called a “severe typhoon” and in Japan “a very strong typhoon.” Also, Japan’s super typhoon is known as a “violent typhoon.”
“Typhoon” comes from the Chinese tái fēng and Japanese taifū, meaning “big wind.” Curiously, the Greek word for “hurricane” is tyfónas, describing tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic with winds beginning from 119 km/h. The WMO lists five hurricane categories, the highest for winds exceeding 252 km/h.
Strictly speaking, Emong (international name: Co-may), which was expected to dissipate yesterday over Okinawa, was typhoon Emong until last Thursday with winds of 120-130 km/h. It became severe tropical storm Emong (110 km/h) Friday morning and tropical storm Emong (85 km/h) in the afternoon. Each title is correct, but subject to the current wind speed, and hence can be confusing.
What made the situation last week even murkier was the near-simultaneous occurrences of two other tropical cyclones. “Dante” (international name: Francisco) which was a tropical depression, then a tropical storm, and back to a tropical depression, from July 22-25; and “Crising” (international name: Wipha) which entered the Philippine area of responsibility on July 17 as a tropical depression, intensified into a tropical storm and later a severe tropical storm upon its exit four days later.
When in doubt, refer to these named weather disturbances simply as a tropical cyclone.
“Rainfall,” a significant predictor of risk, also needs clarification.
A red “torrential” (“walang humpay”) rainfall warning is issued if more than 30 millimeters of rain is observed in an hour and expected to persist for at least two more hours. This warns of serious flooding and calls for immediate evacuation. Last week, PAGASA issued separate “red” rainfall alerts for Metro Manila, Bulacan, Bataan, Cavite, Occidental Mindoro and Zambales. In my barangay last Wednesday, a small group of people who live along an estero were evacuated by local authorities to a covered basketball court.
Orange is for intense (“matindi”), for 15 to 30 mm of rain over the same period. Flooding is imminent and indicates preparations for evacuation.
Yellow means heavy rain of 7 to 15 mm.
Last year, the Department of Education instructed kindergartners to stay at home on Wind Signal 1, kindergartners to 10th graders on Wind Signal 2, and the entire K-12 on higher signals.
The Commission on Higher Education has left the decision to call off classes with school or local officials.
Let me end with a proposed, slight but significant, rewrite of the news report: “The main Philippine island of Luzon braces for the impact of another tropical cyclone. Typhoon Emong is forecast to make landfall early Friday morning over the Ilocos region. The second-highest wind signal [or, Wind Signal 4] has been raised over parts of Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan.”
