After days of traversing our boundary, Tropical storm “Egay” has finally moved out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). Based on the final bulletin of PAGASA, the center of the storm was estimated at 320 kilometers west-southwest of Basco, Batanes.

Packing winds of 85 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 100 kilometers per hour, Egay is expected to move north at 7 kilometers per hour. PAGASA Weather Forecaster Meno Mendoza explains that the ridge of high pressure area (HPA) has influenced Egay’s slow course during the past few days.

As Egay moves farther away from the country, it will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon or “habagat”. Moderate to occasionally heavy rains will be dumped over Calayan & Babuyan Group of islands, Zambales, Bataan, Benguet and Ilocos Region while Metro Manila, Mindoro, Palawan and Western Visayas will have light to moderate rains and thunderstorms. The rest of the country will experience generally fair weather aside from the chance of isolated thunderstorms.

Gale warning is still up over the seaboards of Northern Luzon and the western seaboard of Central Luzon. Rough to very rough sea conditions with wave height ranging from 3.4 to 4.5 meters will be experienced, making it risky for fishing boats and other small seacraft.

Meanwhile, typhoon “Chan-Hom” still poses threat to the PAR. It was last spotted at 1,620 kilometers east of Luzon with maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 150 kilometers per hour. Moving west-northwest at 20 kilometers per hour, it is expected to enter the PAR this afternoon or evening.

Once it enters the boundary, it will be given a local name “Falcon”, the sixth tropical cyclone to enter PAR this year. According to Weather Forecaster Meno Mendoza, it is less likely to hit the landmass but will enhance habagat, bringing rains over the country in the coming days.

On the other hand, another cyclone with international name “Nangka” was estimated at 3, 450 kilometers east of Luzon. Mendoza says it has a slim chance of entering the PAR but all are still advised to monitor updates.

Tropical Storm “Egay” might stay a little longer within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) as it decelerates further this morning. Moving north at 7 kilometers per hour, it is expected to leave PAR by Thursday evening.

As of 5:00 AM today, the center of the storm was estimated at 145 kilometers southwest of Laoag City, with maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 100 kilometers per hour.

As Egay prevails within the boundary, Public Storm Warning Signals (PSWS) are still up over some parts of the Luzon. These areas will experience stormy weather as a direct effect of the tropical storm.

Meanwhile, several areas of the country will also experience rains today as Egay continues to enhance the southwest monsoon or habagat. Moderate to heavy monsoon rains will be dumped over Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon. Monsoon rains can trigger flash floods and landslides mostly over the low-lying and mountainous areas.

Visayas will experience light to moderate rains and thunderstorms, while Mindanao will have a generally fair weather aside from possible isolated thunderstorms. Sea travel for fishing boats and other small seacraft is risky over the seaboards of Luzon and Visayas.

Aside from Egay, PAGASA is monitoring two other tropical cyclones outside the PAR. The closest, “Chan-Hom”, was estimated at approximately 830 kilometers east of our boundary. Packing winds of 110 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 145 kilometers per hour, it moves northwest at 20 kilometers per hour.

Chan-Hom is expected to enter the PAR by Tuesday or Wednesday this week and will be given the local name “Falcon”. PAGASA Weather Forecaster Aldczar Aurelio says it has a slim chance to hit the landmass but will enhance the habagat just like Egay.

Meanwhile, another cyclone with international name “Nangka” was spotted at around 2,800 kilometers east of the PAR. With maximum sustained winds of 105 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 135 kilometers per hour, it is expected to move westward at 20 kilometers per hour. As of now, Nangka is still too far to determine its track. All are still advised to monitor updates and further development.

Tropical Storm Egay slightly intensified as it moved closer towards Northern Luzon. From a previous strength of 85 kph, it now packs 95 kph maximum sustained winds and gustiness of 120 kph. It slowed down to a speed of 9 kph in a northwest direction due to a high pressure area located southeast of Japan.

More areas are now placed under signal #2. These provinces will experience stormy weather with winds of 61 to 120kph within 24 hours. Meanwhile, expect rains with gusty winds over areas under signal #1:

According to PAGASA Weather Forecaster Aldczar Aurelio, Egay is expected to make landfall tomorrow morning in the northern tip of Cagayan. Its second contact with land will be over the Batanes area by Sunday night or Monday morning. If it maintains its current speed and direction, Egay will exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Wednesday afternoon.

Egay still has the possibility of intensifying in the following hours but has a slim chance of reaching typhoon category, he added.

Tropical Storm Egay is the first cyclone in the Philippines this July and the fifth this year. It has an international name of Linfa which means a Lotus, the city flower of Macau.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Chan Hom is expected to enter PAR by Wednesday or Thursday next week. If it does, it will be named Falcon and will further enhance the southwest monsoon or hanging habagat.

Despite the distance of Egay from the western side of the Philippines, moderate to heavy rains will still be experienced over Metro Manila, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA and Bicol Region due to the enhancement of the southwest monsoon. Light to moderate rains and thunderstorms can be expected over Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula and the rest of Luzon. The rest of Mindanao will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated thunderstorms tonight.

In related news, gale warning has been issued over the seaboards of Southern Luzon, Visayas and Northern Mindanao. Fishing boats and small seacraft are advised against venturing out into the sea due to strong to gale force winds and rough to very rough sea conditions.

Tropical Storm Egay has maintained its strength while moving closer towards Northern Luzon. At 7 AM today, the center of TS Egay was located at 340 kilometers east of Baler, Aurora with maximum sustained winds of 85 kph near the center and gustiness of 100 kph as it continues to move west northwest at 10 kph.

State Meteorologist Buddy Javier said that TS Egay is expected to intensify, but will not reach typhoon category. The said weather disturbance is forecast to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Thursday, July 9, 2015.

18 Areas now under Public Storm Warning Signals

Areas under signal no. 2 will experience stormy weather with 24 hours lead time. Rains and gusty winds are expected over the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos provinces, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija and Cagayan, including Babuyan and Calayan Group of Islands.

Metro Manila, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, and Bicol Region will have cloudy skies with moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms. Residents are advised on the possibilities of landslides and flashfloods. Light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms will be experienced over Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula and the rest of Luzon. Fair weather will prevail over the rest of Mindanao, apart from isolated rains and thunderstorms.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Chan-Hom is expected to enter PAR on Wednesday July 8, 2015. Javier said, Chan-Hom is forecast not to make any landfall; however it will enhance the southwest monsoon that will bring rain showers mostly in the western section of the country.

Tropical Storm Egay maintains strength of 65 kph near the center and gustiness of 80 kph while moving northwest at 13 kph over the East Philippine Sea.

In PAGASA’s latest weather bulletin, Isabela and Cagayan are now under public storm warning signal #1 wherein 30-60 kph winds are expected in at least 36 hours.

If it maintains current speed and direction, Egay will exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) Wednesday next week.

State Meteorologist Meno Mendoza stated that Egay may intensify further but has a low chance of reaching typhoon category. The weather bureau also does not rule out the possibility of Egay making landfall over extreme Northern Luzon, he added.

With the storm’s enhancement of the southwest monsoon, strong to gale force winds is expected over the eastern seaboard of Central Luzon, the seaboards of Southern Luzon and Visayas, as well as the northern and eastern seaboards of Mindanao. Rough to very rough conditions will be experienced over these coastal waters. Venturing out into the sea is not advised especially for fishing boats and other small seacraft.

For today’s weather, rains with gusty winds will prevail over Isabela, while Bicol Region and Samar may experience moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms.

Meanwhile, cloudy skies with rains are expected over Metro Manila, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Zamboanga Peninsula, the rest of Visayas, as well as in the provinces of Cagayan, Aurora, Zambales and Bataan. The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated thunderstorms.

In other news, typhoon Chan Hom traverses the Western Pacific Ocean as it continues to move in a northwest direction and is an incoming threat to Southern Japan next week.