Strongest storm of 2023 headed toward Philippines
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Typhoon Mawar, a Category 5 hurricane labeled the biggest in 2023, is reportedly making its way to the Philippines.
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A picture circulated on social media shows trees swaying due to strong winds in Tamuning, Guam, on May 24, 2023 (Reuters)
Typhoon Mawar is allegedly on its way to the Philippines after it crushed Guam earlier this week.
The equivalent of a category 5 hurricane, Mawar intensified and moved away from the Mariana Islands.
The powerful winds make Mawar the strongest storm of 2023 thus far.
Read more: Climate change doesn't cause storms, it strengthens them: Research
According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Mawar's maximum sustained winds on Friday morning local Guam time were 185 mph. Late Thursday, President Biden accepted a disaster designation for Guam, which Mawar battered with torrential rains and strong gusts, knocking out electricity and downing trees across the US.
According to a White House statement, the decision makes federal cash available to the island, qualifying local government agencies and some NGOs on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures, including direct federal aid in the territory.
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Guam, which has a population of 168,000 and three US military posts, was already under a flood watch.
Breaking waves reaching 10 to 15 feet are possible from Mawar and could produce life-threatening rip currents, the agency warned.
It's also one of the most powerful typhoons to form in May.
Climate change is a major player in how typhoons and hurricanes progress, according to Andrew Freedman, an Axios climate and energy reporter.
Freedman states that climate change is impacting nature's greatest storms through rapid intensification and increasing rainfall rates.
Forecasters warn that Mawar may develop further as it moves over the Western Pacific Ocean, eventually reaching the Philippines on Friday night or early Saturday.
