Typhoon Dolphin to spare the Philippines by Steph Ball
On Monday morning, Typhoon Dolphin lies some miles east of the Philippines and according to latest forecasts looks likely to spare the islands.
Typhoon Dolphin originated as an extra-tropical storm earlier on in the month. As it moved back into tropical waters it slowly intensified and was eventually upgraded to a typhoon earlier today as winds strengthened to 75mph (120 km/h).
At 0900UTC on Monday, Typhoon Dolphin lay in the Pacific some 615 miles (990 km) east of Manila, Philippines. Current forecasts indicate that the typhoon will slowly weaken over the next few days as it moves north-northwesterly. This track means that Dolphin would not make landfall across the Philippine Islands. However, that is not to say that Typhoon Dolphin’s effects will not be felt.
Earlier this morning the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGSA) issued a typhoon warning for shipping in the area. The storm is already being laid partly to blame for the capsizing of a passenger ferry, which encountered heavy seas off the northern Philippines at the weekend.
Sea accidents are common in the Philippine archipelago because of tropical storms. The Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds. Though most tropical cyclones develop between May and November, the season tends to run all year round.
