Tropical Storm “Egay” intensified slightly as it moved westward over the Philippine Sea, the state weather bureau said Saturday. PAGASA, in its 5 p.m. bulletin, said Egay was last spotted 685 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes, packing sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour and wind gusts of up to 90 kph. The storm is currently moving westward at 15 kph, PAGASA said.
“It may reach its peak at super typhoon category on Tuesday or Wednesday while over the Philippine Sea east of Extreme Northern Luzon,” the agency said.
“However, the forecast confidence cone indicates that a landfall scenario over the northern portion of Northern Luzon is not ruled out at this time,” the advisory added.
No tropical cyclone wind signal has been hoisted in the country so far, PAGASA said.
It added that wind signals are expected to be “hoisted in some areas in Bicol Region and Eastern Visayas” as the storm brings occasional rains over most parts of Visayas, and MIMAROPA in the coming days, PAGASA said.
Egay is also expected to enhance the southwest monsoon or “habagat” and bring rain showers over a large part of the country, the weather bureau said Saturday.
The trough of the storm will bring cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms over the Caraga and Eastern Visayas regions.
On the other hand, the enhanced southwest monsoon will bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms over Western Visayas, Palawan, and Occidental Mindoro, the weather bureau said.
Possible flash floods or landslides due to moderate to at times heavy rains may be experienced in these areas, PAGASA warned.
Metro Manila and the rest of the county will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to the southwest monsoon and localized thunderstorms.