Super Typhoon Choi-wan Gains Strength Over Open Pacific

Pagasa’s latest bulletin confirmed that the tropical cyclone Choi-wan intensified into a super typhoon as of 8 p.m. Sunday, with sustained winds of 185 km/h and peak gusts reaching 230 km/h. The storm is positioned roughly 2,600 km east of the far-northern tip of Luzon and is advancing north-northwestward at a speed of about 10 km/h. While the system remains outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, authorities are monitoring it closely for any changes. The agency warned that the storm’s outer trough could bring cloudy skies, scattered rain and thunderstorms to portions of the Visayas and Mindanao. No immediate landfall is forecast, but the heightened intensity underscores the need for continued vigilance across the region.