‘Egay’ expected to make another landfall in Batanes Sunday evening — PAGASA

MANILA — Tropical storm “Egay” is expected to make another landfall in Batanes province on Sunday evening and the public and the disaster risk reduction and management council concerned are advised to take appropriate actions and monitor the weather bulletin, according to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

In an interview, PAGASA weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said that storm “Egay” made its first landfall in Palanan, Isabela at around 10 p.m. on Saturday.

He said that as of 8 a.m. Sunday, “Egay” was located in the vicinity of Baggao, Cagayan (17.

9°N, 121.9°E), packed with maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 120 kph.

Aurelio said the storm continues to move northwest at 7 kph and it is possible to make another landfall in Batanes by Sunday evening.

As this developed, public storm warning signal No. 2 (61-120 kph winds is expected in 24 hours) has been raised over the Northern Luzon provinces of Kalinga, Apayao, Isabela, Quirino, Northern Aurora, and Cagayan, including the Babuyan and Calayan Group of Islands.

The potential impacts of the winds under signal No. 2 are the following:

• Light to moderate damage to high risk structures.

• Very light to light damage to medium-risk structures.

• No damage to very light damage to low-risk structures.

• Unshielded, old dilapidated schoolhouses, makeshift shanties, and other structures of light materials are partially damaged or unroofed.

• A number of nipa and cogon houses may be partially or totally unroofed.

• Some old galvanized iron (G.I.) roofs may be peeled or blown off.

• Some wooden, old electric posts are tilted or downed.

• Some damage to poorly constructed signs/billboards.

• In general, the winds may bring light to moderate damage to the exposed communities. Most banana plants, a few mango trees, ipil-ipil and similar types of trees are downed or broken

• Some coconut trees may be tilted, with few others broken

• Rice and corn may be adversely affected.

• Considerable damage to shrubbery and trees with some heavily-foliaged trees blown down.

A storm surge is possible at coastal areas with Open Sea Wave Height: 4.1-14.0 meters.

Public storm warning signal No. 1 (30-60 kph winds is expected in at least 36 hours) is hoisted over the rest of Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Ifugao, Benguet, Mt. Province, Ilocos Sur, Abra, Ilocos Norte and Batanes.

The potential impacts of the winds under signal No. 1 are the following:

• Very light or no damage to high-risk structures.

• Light damage to medium to low-risk structures.

• Slight damage to some houses of very light materials or makeshift structures in exposed communities. Some banana plants are tilted, a few downed and leaves are generally damaged.

• Twigs of small trees may be broken.

• Rice crops, however, may suffer significant damage when it is in its flowering stage.

The Open Sea Wave Height is 1.25-4.0 meters.

Residents in mountainous and low-lying areas of the provinces under PSWS #1 and #2 as well as of Metro Manila, Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) and the rest of Northern and Central Luzon are alerted against possible flashfloods and landslides.

Storm surges and sea surface waves of up to two meters are possible over the coastal areas of Isabela and Cagayan.

The estimated rainfall amount is from moderate to occasionally heavy within the 400-km diameter of the severe tropical storm.

PAGASA said the storm is estimated to exit the landmass via Cagayan Sunday and exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Wednesday afternoon.

Fisherfolks and small sea crafts are advised not to venture out over the seaboards of Luzon and the Visayas.

Aurelio said that most parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila, will experience rains due to the southwest monsoon enhanced by tropical storm “Egay.”

For Sunday weather forecast, stormy weather with rough to very rough seas will prevail over Cagayan Valley, Kalinga, Apayao and Aurora. Ilocos provinces, Nueva Ecija and the rest of the Cordilleras will have rains with gusty winds and moderate to rough seas.

Cloudy skies with thunderstorms and moderate to occasionally heavy rains which may trigger flashfloods and landslides will be experienced over Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon while light to moderate rains and thunderstorms will be experienced over the Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula.

Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated thunderstorms will prevail over the rest of Mindanao.

Moderate to strong winds blowing from the southwest will prevail over the rest of the country with moderate to rough seas.

The state-run weather bureau also issued a gale warning due to the effects of the southwest monsoon enhanced by “Egay” as the sea condition will be rough to very rough.

Strong to gale force winds are expected to affect the western seaboard of Northern and Central Luzon, the seaboards of Southern Luzon and the seaboards of the Visayas.

”Fishing boats and other small seacrafts are advised not to venture out into the sea while larger sea vessels are alerted against big waves,” it warned.