Typhoon Update: Goring Intensifies 2023

by Ronel Forbes

August 25, 2023

Due to Tropical Storm Goring (Saola), which marginally strengthened before morning on Friday, August 25, more areas were put under Signal No. 1. Goring’s highest sustained winds increased back to 75 kilometers per hour from 65 kilometers per hour on Thursday evening, August 24, following a brief deterioration.

The gustiness of the tropical storm increased to 90 km/h from 80 km/h, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

On Friday, August 25, Goring could become a strong tropical storm, and on Saturday, August 26, it might become a typhoon. On Sunday, August 27, it might reach its strongest point as a typhoon and keep that power. PAGASA, however, is leaving open the chance that Goring could intensify into a super typhoon.

At four on Friday morning, Goring was 220 kilometers to the southeast and steadily moving southwest towards Basco, Batanes. It is anticipated that this tropical cyclone would generally move slowly.

As of 5 am, the following regions are under Signal No. 1, meaning people should get ready for severe gusts from Goring:

Batanes
(Babuyan Island, Camiguin Island) The eastern portion of the Babuyan Islands
Santa Ana, Gonzaga, Lal-lo, Gattaran, Baggao, and Peablanca are in the eastern portion of the Cagayan mainland.
Isabela’s northeastern region, including Maconacon, Divilacan, and Palanan

The weather bureau updated its prediction for rainfall as well:

Friday, August 25
Batanes, Babuyan Islands, northern portion of Cagayan mainland; 50-100 mm
Saturday, August 26
Babuyan Islands, eastern Cagayan mainland, and eastern Isabela, 50-100 mm
Sunday, August 27
Northern Aurora, eastern Cagayan, and eastern Isabela all have between 50 and 100 mm of rainfall.

It’s possible for landslides and floods

In the meantime, the tropical storm prompted the issuance of a gale warning at 5 am for the coastal seas of Batanes, the Babuyan Islands, and the northern shore of mainland Cagayan. For some vessels, traveling is unsafe, therefore trip suspension is to be expected.

PAGASA anticipates that Goring will continue to travel in a southerly or southwesterly direction off Northern Luzon until Saturday afternoon before turning southeast for the remainder of Saturday until Sunday afternoon.

On Tuesday, August 29, it may “loop northward before turning to the northwest” near the Luzon Strait. The movement of Goring has been influenced by a high pressure area.

Goring is the first tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines in August of 2023 and the sixth overall.

In an earlier statement, PAGASA stated that it anticipates two to three tropical storms to form in or approach the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) in August.

Early on Friday, a cloud cluster east of the Visayas is being watched by the weather agency right outside PAR. According to Benison Estareja of PAGASA, this could develop into a low pressure area.

The tropical depression that was far from PAR has since strengthened into a tropical storm with the name Damrey. Its top sustained wind speed is 65 km/h, while gusts can reach 80 km/h.

Damrey was last seen early on Friday, traveling 35 km/h east northeast or away from PAR, some 3,065 km east of Northern Luzon.