FILE PHOTO: Aerial view of downtown Cebu City taken on July 9, 2023. CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Every year, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has been naming tropical cyclones that enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).
It started around the 1960s when the state weather bureau started naming the tropical cyclones because no tropical cyclones have the same impact, according to Engineer Al Quiblat, chief of Pagasa-Mactan.
“Kinahanglan pud nato nga panghinganlan na siya para dili ta magngalan og numero,” he said.
(We need to name them so that we will not be naming them by numbers.)
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He added that naming the tropical cyclones was also in accordance with the standard of World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) Typhoon Committee.
“Nisunod ta sa standard sa WMO nga ang ubang nasud nga naay puy pangalan sa bagyo. Dunay international name, duna puy local name,” Quiblat said.
(We follow the standard of the WMO that other nations also have their name of the typhoon. There is an international name and there is also a local name.)
Currently there are 25 names of tropical cyclones in accordance with the letters of the alphabet, and 10 auxiliary names.
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Here are the names of the tropical cyclones that will enter PAR this year:
- Aghon
- Butchoy
- Carina
- Dindo
- Enteng
- Ferdie
- Gener
- Helen
- Igme
- Julian
- Kristine
- Leon
- Marce
- Nika
- Ofel
- Pepito
- Querubin
- Romina
- Siony
- Tonyo
- Upang
- Vicky
- Warren
- Yoyong
- Zosimo
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Meanwhile, Pagasa also sets auxiliary names which will be used when the number of tropical cyclones exceeds 25.
Here are the auxiliary names for this year:
- Alakdan
- Baldo
- Clara
- Dencio
- Estong
- Felipe
- Gomer
- Heling
- Ismael
- Julio
Quiblat said that the average number of tropical cyclones that enter PAR every year would be 18 to 20.
According to Pagasa, since 1963, Pagasa and its predecessor, the Philippine Weather Bureau, has been assigning domestic names to tropical cyclones of at least tropical depression category within the PAR region.
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