'Egay' moves away, dumps more rains over Luzon

MANILA, Philippines - Tropical depression “Egay” moved out of the Philippine area of responsibility yesterday but a new weather disturbance is expected to affect the country this week, the weather bureau said.

Graciano Yumul, supervising undersecretary of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said the low-pressure area east of Southern Visayas is expected to develop into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours.

The new disturbance will be named “Falcon” once it intensifies into a tropical depression, he said.

The low-pressure area was estimated at 870 kms east of Southern Visayas as of 5 p.m. yesterday.

Yumul said Falcon is expected to affect Northern Luzon areas, the same path battered by Egay.

Yumul said Falcon is expected to be stronger than Egay.

“There is a big possibility that it (Falcon) will intensify into a storm,” he said.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the center of Egay was spotted at 280 kms northwest of Laoag City or at 320 kms west of Basco, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center.

Egay was moving west-northwest at 20 kph and is predicted to be 490 kms northwest of Laoag City or 530 kms west of Basco this morning.

PAGASA said the southwest monsoon enhanced by Egay will continue to bring rains over the western sections of Luzon and Visayas.                                                                     

In Nueva Vizcaya, at least 100 coastal residents have been stranded in Northern Cagayan after Egay hit the region over the weekend.                                                                      

Residents stranded in Aparri and Santa Ana ports in Cagayan are still waiting for the storm to calm down before sailing home.                                                                                    

At least five passenger boats plying the northern waters, including Calayan, Fuga and Camiguin islands, remain immobilized at the ports.                                                               

The stranded residents were from the coastal towns of Maconacon and Divilacan in Isabela, and Camiguin Island in Cagayan.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, however, is not expecting significant property damage caused by Egay. – With Charlie Lagasca, Alexis Romero