Sierra Madre weakens Super Typhoon Uwan to typhoon category before landfall

The Sierra Madre mountain range is recognized as the "backbone of Luzon" for its significant role in weakening tropical cyclones.

This protective function was clearly demonstrated with Super Typhoon Uwan, where satellite imagery revealed the mountain range disrupting the storm's eye.

PAGASA confirmed that the Sierra Madre's friction caused Uwan to weaken from a super typhoon into a typhoon category upon landfall in Aurora.

The storm, which caused at least two deaths, preemptive evacuations of 1.4 million people, infrastructure damage, power outages, and affected agriculture and livestock, was expected to weaken significantly as it crossed Northern Luzon.

By Monday morning, Uwan had weakened into a typhoon category, prompting expressions of gratitude towards the Sierra Madre on social media.

However, PAGASA cautioned that the Sierra Madre does not offer complete protection from cyclones, a sentiment echoed by American storm chaser Josh Morgerman.