By AccuWeather meteorologist
This satellite image shows Conson, known as Jolina in the Philippines, Wednesday afternoon, local time, Sept. 8, 2021, as it continues to churn over the Philippines. (AccuWeather Enhanced RealVue™ Satellite)
AccuWeather meteorologists say tropical activity in the West Pacific basin has surged to life once again this week as two tropical systems churn through the basin.
The first of these two tropical entities to take shape was Tropical Storm Conson, known as Jolina in the Philippines. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) assigns a local name, to be used in addition to the internationally-recognized name, to any tropical system that enters its area of responsibility.
Conson made the first of multiple landfalls in the Philiipines late Monday evening, local time. This first landfall was in the vicinity of Hernani, Eastern Samar, Philippines. Conson was a severe tropical storm when it first slammed into the Philippines, according to the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA), the tropical governing body for the West Pacific basin.
PAGASA found slightly stronger sustained winds and declared the system a typhoon just as it made landfall.
"Conson's intensity was right on the border between a severe tropical storm designation and a typhoon designation at landfall," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist and Lead International Forecaster Jason Nicholls said.
In the early morning hours of Tuesday, local time, Conson went on to make three additional landfalls in a span of just four hours. A fifth landfall was confirmed just before noon, local time, on Tuesday.
As of Wednesday evening, local time, Conson was a tropical storm located over Manila Bay, moving to the northwest at 9 mph (15 km/h).
This infrared satellite loop shows Conson, known as Jolina in the Philippines, on Monday evening, Sept. 6, 2021, just before its first landfall in the Philippines. (CIRA/RAMMB)
Regardless of its official designation, Conson unleashed strong winds and heavy rainfall for the Philippines.
Portions of the Eastern Visayas region near where Conson first made landfall have received 6-12 inches (150-300 mm) of rainfall since Monday. Other portions of the Visayas island group have had 4-6 inches (100-150 mm) of rainfall in the same time frame.
Rain will continue across portions of the Philippines through midweek as Conson slowly makes its way off the country's coastline.
"Widespread rainfall totals of 4-8 inches (100-200 mm) are expected along the path of the storm with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 18 inches (450 mm)," Nicholls said.
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While the Philippines is no stranger to heavy rainfall events, rainfall of this magnitude is enough to cause flooding issues for the region. Water can quickly pond in low-lying areas, while higher elevation areas are susceptible to mudslides during heavy rainfall.
As Conson continues to interact with land, the storm's wind intensity will continue to decrease. However, locally strong wind gusts of 40-60 mph (70-100 km/h) can still occur as Conson drags through the Philippines, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 70 mph (115 km/h).
Wind and heavy rain can also work to churn up surrounding seas and lead to rough surf and potentially some coastal flooding.
On Tuesday afternoon, nearly 2,000 passengers and crew members were stranded in ports across the Eastern Visayas and Bicol regions, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.
The Philippine Coast Guard suspended sea trips within areas covered by storm signals -- warnings issued by PAGASA to cover for tropical impacts.
As of Wednesday evening, local time, storm signals remained in effect for portions of the island groupings of Southern Luzon, Mindoro, Central Luzon and Northern Luzon. The capital city of Manila, home to over 1.75 million people, was included in these storm signals.
The Philippine Coast Guard confirmed on Tuesday that at least 18 fishermen were missing as a result of the storm.
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines said some transmission lines were impacted by Conson and power outages were reported in parts of the Eastern Samar, Samar and Leyte provinces, according to The Associated Press.
On Wednesday afternoon, all activities were suspended at Manila City Hall, and all courts within territorial jurisdiction of Batangas, Philippines, suspended work on Wednesday.
AccuWeather forecasters say after Conson moves out of the Philippines, it will set its sights on portions of China and Vietnam.
Conson is currently forecast to move off the coast of the Philippines and into the South China Sea by Thursday afternoon. Conson can approach, or directly strike, China's Hainan province early this weekend before potentially tracking into Vietnam early next week.
Conson is not alone in the West Pacific basin. A second active system, Typhoon Chanthu, was churning in the open waters of the Philippine Sea Wednesday afternoon, local time. AccuWeather forecasters continue to closely monitor Chanthu.
"Chanthu is expected to bring risks to Taiwan, the southern Ryukyu Islands and perhaps eastern China this weekend," Nicholls cautioned.
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