Typhoon Songda tracking toward NMI

Another tropical storm that may intensify into a typhoon is tracking toward the Commonwealth and may hit the islands possibly Wednesday.

Based on yesterday’s weather forecast, tropical storm Songda was headed west-northwest from about 200 miles northwest of Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands, threatening to hit Agrihan in the Northern Islands. A westerly tilt in its forward movement, though, will threaten the CNMI’s major islands—Saipan, Tinian, and Rota—of a possible direct hit.

The storm carries with it numerous showers and thunderstorms within 150 miles from the center, the National Weather Service said.

The threat of Songda prompted the Emergency Management Office to alert residents of Agrihan and Pagan. No typhoon watch or warning has been hoisted by the EMO as of press time. The EMO, however, is closely monitoring the track of the storm.

As of 1pm yesterday, the NWS located Songda’s center near the Marshall Islands—or about 933 miles east of Saipan, 940 miles east of Tinian, and 966 miles east of Rota. The NWS located the storm about 967 miles east-southeast of Pagan and 989 miles east-southeast of Agrihan.

It packed 70mph center winds, which were expected to intensify further as it approaches the NMI. At that time, the storm tracked west-northwest at 16 mph.

The relatively far distance of the storm from the islands may allow Songda to further intensify before reaching the Marianas region.

Two days before Chaba’s eye went close to the islands on Aug. 22, the weather disturbance was also packing 70mph winds, while moving westward at 10mph.

At that time, the NWS located Chaba about 790 miles east of Saipan, 795 miles east of Tinian, and 825 miles east of Rota—closer to the islands than Songda’s location as of 1pm yesterday. Chaba’s westerly track had changed from a west-northwest direction earlier that day.

Chaba would further intensify to supertyphoon just right after passing NMI’s major islands. During its closest approach, it wielded 145mph winds.

A storm elevates into a typhoon when wind strength reaches at least 75mph. Once wind strength intensifies to at least 150mph, the weather disturbance becomes a supertyphoon.

The threat of Songda came just right after tropical storm 21W weakened to a tropical depression, allowing Lt. Gov. Diego T. Benavente to lift the storm condition hoisted over the islands Saturday.

Meanwhile, the NWS said Chaba’s swells were already subsiding yesterday, but added that the islands would continue to experience high surf of up to 14 feet on its waters.