A verified YouTube channel uploaded a video claiming that two new super typhoons have entered the Philippines. This is fake. There are currently no tropical cyclone systems affecting any part of the country as of Aug. 8, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
Uploaded on Aug. 7, the three-minute video bore the headline:
“2 SUPER TYPHOON, NAKAPASOK NA SA BANSA! SOBRANG LAKAS (Two super typhoons have entered the country! So strong) | LATEST WEATHER UPDATE! AUGUST 7, 2023.”
It also carried the thumbnail “2 SUPER TYPHOON. 2 BAGYO, NAKAPASOK NA SA PAR! TATAMA SA BANSA! (Two typhoons have already entered the Philippine area of responsibility. It will hit the country!)” along with a photo of former GMA News resident meteorologist Nathaniel Cruz. Reverse image search showed that Cruz’s photo was from a 2018 State of the Nation with Jessica Soho report on Typhoon Ompong, not a recent weather forecast.
As of publishing, a notice on Pagasa’s website clearly states that there is no active Tropical Cyclone within PAR.
While a tropical depression was detected 2,740 kilometers east northeast of extreme northern Luzon, Pagasa said in its Aug. 8 weather bulletin that it is not expected to enter nor affect the country. The state weather bureau said in an earlier advisory it is unlikely that any tropical cyclone will affect the country for the next two weeks until Aug. 20.
The erroneous clip also used audio taken from Pagasa’s Aug. 7 weather report, while a montage of satellite images of storms played in the background. It never mentioned anything about two super typhoons recently entering the country.
Uploaded by YouTube channel Balitang Pinas (created Nov, 20, 2019) with 520,000 subscribers, the video has so far obtained 76,000 views. Some netizens shared the link on Facebook.
The channel has been repeatedly posting incorrect weather forecasts. Past videos uploaded since Aug. 3 falsely claimed that two super typhoons named Goring and Hanna will make landfall in the country.
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