Rappler reported that a weather forecast on YouTube on September 16 said that tropical depression Gener had strengthened into a super typhoon and Storm Warning Signal No. 4 had been issued in the Philippines.
However, this is a fake news video posted on September 16 and has more than 28,000 views as of the time of writing. The video was posted by a channel with 88,800 subscribers.
The fake news video's cover photo reads: "Super typhoon! New tropical storm Gener will cause major damage to the Philippines!" The video's title claims that Typhoon Warning Signal No. 4 has been issued in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, the storm forecast bulletin at 8 p.m. on September 16 from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said that Gener was classified as a tropical depression. Signal No. 1 is the highest wind signal that can be given to a tropical depression.
According to the storm forecast bulletin at 4:00 a.m. on September 17 of PAGASA, tropical depression Gener maintained its intensity as it moved westward in Northern Luzon.
The center of the tropical depression at 4:00 a.m. on September 17 was at about 16.8 degrees north latitude, 122.0 degrees east longitude, in the vicinity of Alicia, Isabela.
The strongest wind near the center of the tropical depression is level 7 (55 km/h), gusting to 70 km/h and the central pressure is 996 hPa. The tropical depression moves mainly westward at a speed of 30 km/h. Strong winds extend outward up to 360 km from the center of the tropical depression.
Gener is expected to appear in the coastal waters of Ilocos Sur or La Union on September 17, then move westward over the South China Sea until September 19 before turning west-northwest, heading towards southern China.
Gener may exit the Philippine Forecast Area (PAR) between tonight and tomorrow morning, September 18. Gener is likely to cross the Luzon mainland as a tropical depression, and may also weaken slightly as it interacts with the mountainous terrain of Northern Luzon.
In the East Sea, Gener may strengthen into a storm tonight or early tomorrow morning (September 18) and the possibility of further strengthening cannot be ruled out.
According to the Vietnam National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, when this tropical depression strengthens into a storm, it will be storm number 4, with the potential to impact mainland Vietnam.
Regarding the intensity of storm number 4, according to Vietnam and major meteorological stations in the world, this storm is unlikely to be as strong as super typhoon Yagi.
