‘Egay’ may bring even more rain

A tropical depression east of northern Luzon might enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) within the next day and is expected to bring heavy rains again over the western section of Luzon, including Metro Manila, government weather forecasters warned yesterday.

In a telephone interview, weather forecaster Bobby Rivera of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said based on latest computer models, the tropical depression “is very likely to enter PAR within the next 24 to 36 hours.”

Rivera said like tropical storms “Chedeng” (international name Pabuk) and “Dodong” (Wutip), which successively entered PAR last week, the weather disturbance would enhance the southwest monsoon (habagat) that will bring more rains particularly over the western section of Luzon.

Rains brought by Chedeng and Dodong have somewhat eased the dry spell being experienced in some parts of Luzon.   

The depression would be named “Egay” (Sepat) once it enters PAR, Rivera said.

He said the disturbance is expected to further intensify as it moves westward. However, it would not directly hit any part of the country, Rivera added.

A tropical depression is an organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with a defined surface circulation and maximum sustained winds of 35 to 63 kilometers per hour (kph). It has no eye and does not typically have the organization or the spiral shape of more powerful storms.

Rivera said the northwestern part of Luzon will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms, while the rest of the country will be partly cloudy to at times cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.

Several cities in Metro Manila and nearby provinces were flooded last Wednesday due to incessant rainfall triggered by Chedeng and Dodong.

This prompted Malacañang to order the suspension of classes in all levels in Metro Manila and 13 provinces of Luzon on Thursday.

The weather bureau had said that at least two to three tropical cyclones are expected to enter the country this month.   

Meanwhile, reports said the death toll caused by the storms has risen to seven while some 185,030 families or 921,455 persons were affected, according to a report of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) released Friday night.

The NDCC said those affected were from Metro Manila, Cordillera, Ilocos, Central Luzon and Southern Luzon.

Of the 185,030 families or 921,455 persons affected by the storms, 4,593 families or 37,977 persons were evacuated to 82 evacuation centers, it said.