Melor to Threaten Philippines Next Week

By Brett Rathbun, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist

December 12,2015; 9:31PM,EST

 

 

Typhoon Melor, also known as Nona in the Philippines, is currently centered over the southern Philippine Sea and will bring flooding rainfall and damaging winds to portions of the Philippines early next week.
The system will continue to move toward the west-northwest in the coming days, traversing the Philippine Sea.
Satellite image of Melor as it strengthened Saturday. (Image/NOAA).
"Melor will bring strong winds to the central Philippines, along with torrential rainfall and storm surge," AccuWeather Meteorologist Evan Duffey said.
Favorable environmental conditions along Melor's track are expected to allow the system to strengthen further. It is not out of the question that Melor becomes the equivalent of a Category 2 or 3 hurricane at its peak.

Melor is expected to make landfall in the central Philippines Monday night or Tuesday.
Wind gusts at landfall could reach 185 km/h (115 mph), with the highest gusts confined to areas right along the coast.
While Melor's ultimate track will dictate the system's impact on the nation of around 100 million people, current indications are that it could make landfall near or over southern Luzon, the country's largest and most populous island, early next week.
After landfall, the storm may slow down as it tracks westward across the Philippines. This slower movement could prolong heavy rain in some areas.
Rainfall amounts could top 300 mm (12 inches) in some areas, especially across the higher terrain. How much rain falls will be partially determined by how fast the storm moves across the Philippines.
Also potentially in the crosshairs is Manila, the capital of the Philippines. While wind from the storm should not be nearly as strong as where it makes landfall in southern Luzon, heavy rainfall will be a possibility.
On the other hand, if the storm takes a track a bit farther to the south, the heavy rain and gusty winds would remain south of Manila.
"While the system will be strong upon reaching the Philippines, it certainly won't be the strongest system that has hit the area this year," Duffey said.
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Koppu reached the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane as it made landfall on the eastern coastline of Luzon in October.
The greatest impacts from this system would most likely be in eastern areas and areas that are not sheltered by the rugged terrain of the region.

Heavy rain and strong winds could lead to flooding as well as downed trees and power lines resulting in sporadic power outages.
Following its trek through the Philippines, Melor is expected to emerge into the South China Sea by Thursday, but in a much weaker state. The storm could dissipate before it reaches the Malay Peninsula.
AccuWeather.com meteorologists will continue to monitor this developing situation in the coming days. Stay tuned for future updates.
Content contributed by AccuWeather Meteorologist Brian Thompson.