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.