Songda intensifies to typhoon

Tropical storm Songda intensified into a typhoon yesterday as it approached the Northern Marianas, threatening several portions of the islands with damaging winds beginning possibly tonight.

The Emergency Management Office said Alamagan, Pagan, and Agrihan might experience typhoon conditions beginning tonight. Songda may also bring storm conditions to Saipan and Tinian tonight until tomorrow morning.

Gov. Juan N. Babauta placed the islands of Alamagan, Pagan, and Agrihan under Typhoon Condition III, which meant that typhoon conditions might be felt on those islands within two days. Some 33 people reside on the three islands.

The typhoon brings with it heavy rains, threatening the three islands with over six inches of rainfall, the EMO said.

The EMO also said Saipan and Tinian’s waters might have hazardous surf tonight until tomorrow morning.

Babauta upgraded the typhoon condition declaration in the afternoon, as Songda moved closer to the Northern Marianas.

As of 7am yesterday, the National Weather Service located Songda about 625 miles east of Saipan, 680 miles east-southeast of Agrihan, 655 miles east-southeast of Pagan, and 640 miles east-southeast of Alamagan. Its maximum sustained winds reached 80 mph as it tracked west-northwest at 17mph.

By 1pm, Songda’s wind strength had intensified to 85mph, while slightly slowing down as it moved west-northwest at 16mph. At this time, the NWS located Songda about 530 miles east of Saipan, 545 miles east-southeast of Alamagan, 560 miles east-southeast of Pagan, and 585 miles east-southeast of Agrihan. The NWS predicted that the typhoon would further intensify.

The EMO said Songda’s forward movement could tilt slightly to the north. If this happens, the typhoon may spare the islands. If it tilts to a westerly direction, however, the typhoon would threaten Saipan, Tinian, and Rota with a possible direct hit.

“Residents of Tinian, Rota, and Saipan should closely monitor the progress of Typhoon Songda as it moves toward the Mariana Islands,” the EMO said.

Songda only had 7 mph wind strength as of 1pm Sunday, when its center was located 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. At that time, it moved west-northwest at 16mph.

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