FALSE: U.S. typhoon center warns Yolanda-like super typhoon to hit PH

Claim: Facebook page Spotted posted what appeared to be a weather advisory on Saturday, August 3, about a super typhoon that will hit some provinces in Luzon.

According to the post, the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) supposedly categorized the super typhoon as category 5, or as strong as Super Typhoon Yolanda. 

It also forecasted that the typhoon will gain strength on Sunday, August 4, and will enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) the following day. 

Said typhoon was supposedly predicted to cause landslides or flooding in affected areas. The post further said that the super typhoon will also hit China and Japan the following week. 

The post was spotted via Facebook Claim Check, a tool used by Facebook’s 3rd party fact checking partners to spot potentially harmful content. The post was shared over 40,000 times, with over 5,900 reactions, and 3,600 comments, as of writing.  

Rating: FALSE

The facts: The US JTWC did not classify Tropical Storm Hanna – with international named Lekima – as a super typhoon. It was classified on Sunday, August 4, as a tropical depression. The official site of JTWC is down as of writing. 

PAGASA also declared Hanna as a tropical storm on 11 am, Monday, August 5. (READ: Tropical Storm Hanna slightly intensifies) 

Hanna is expected to intensify further into a severe tropical storm and then a typhoon while inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

The weather authority also posted a live video update on the movement of Tropcal Storm Hanna on their official Facebook account:

Based to PAGASA’s severe weather bulletin, Hanna was projected to cause moderate to heavy monsoon rains to the following areas:

• Northern portion of Palawan (including Calamian and Cuyo Islands)
• Mindoro Provinces
• Romblon
• Western Visayas

Meanwhile, the following locations will experience cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms: 

• Metro Manila
• Central Luzon 
• CALABARZON
• Bicol Region
• Parts of MIMAROPA and Visayas

The graph below shows the forecast movement of tropical storm Hanna.

This has been the second time that Rappler has fact-checked a false weather warning about a super typhoon in the Philippines this year. (READ: FALSE: Philippines in path of 2019’s ‘super typhoon’)

Based on Facebook’s Page Transparency, “Spotted” was recently created on August 2. – Glenda Marie Castro/ Rappler.com

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