Typhoon Doksuri rapidly intensifies, may hit Philippines

MANILA – Typhoon Doksuri has rapidly intensified and may become a super typhoon as it

threatens to hit land north of the Philippines

before possibly heading to Taiwan.

The typhoon, called Egay in the Philippines, has maximum sustained winds of 140 kph and gusts of up to 170 kph, the Philippine weather agency Pagasa said on Monday.

Moving westward at 15 kph, it is forecast to hit land or pass very close to the Philippines’ northern islands between Tuesday and Wednesday, the local bureau said.

It is expected to be around 90km off the port city of Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan on Wednesday, according to the US military’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 

The second in a five-tier wind signal system has been hoisted in some areas in eastern Philippines, with light to moderate risks to light structures.

The typhoon may also bring occasional rains to other parts of the main Luzon island as it enhances the south-west monsoon, the state weather bureau said.

Last Saturday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that government work and public-school classes in Metro Manila have been suspended for Monday.

Mr Marcos, who is set to deliver his State of the Nation Address on the day, cited weather risks and a scheduled transport strike for the suspension.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center located Doksuri about 640km east of Manila. It forecast the storm would make its closest point of approach to Taipei and Hong Kong on Thursday, before heading to Shanghai.

Doksuri may become the first typhoon to hit Taiwan since 2019, according to Mr Chang Cheng Chuan, a forecaster at Taiwan’s Central Forecast Center. The initial impact on outer-region circulation may be felt on Tuesday, with direct effects from Wednesday to Thursday, Mr Chang said.

According to the Hong Kong Observatory, the chance of Doksuri moving towards the coast of eastern Guangdong “still cannot be ruled out” as it is forecast to “gradually” edge closer to the vicinity of Taiwan this week. BLOOMBERG