MANILA — Another weather disturbance is threatening the country after Typhoon Egay (international name: Doksuri) battered parts of Luzon before leaving the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Thursday morning.
The low pressure area earlier monitored by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) some 1,800 kilometers east of northeastern Mindanao has now strengthened into a tropical depression – and may even become a typhoon in the coming days, according to state meteorologists.
Based on the 11 a.m. weather bulletin of Pagasa, the tropical depression was last marked at 1,585 kilometers east of Eastern Visayas. The tropical depression, which remains outside the PAR as of this posting, was packing maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of 70 kph.
Pagasa said the tropical depression will be named Falcon once it enters the PAR this weekend. It would be the sixth tropical cyclone to hit the country this year, and the third this July.
It also said that the tropical depression may further intensify into a typhoon before entering the PAR.
“On the forecast track, the Tropical Depression may enter the PAR region on late Saturday (29 July) or Sunday morning (30 July),” Pagasa said.
“This tropical cyclone may intensify and reach Typhoon category with a peak intensity of 155 (kph) before entering the PAR region,” it added.
Like Typhoon Egay, state meteorologists said this tropical depression would boost the southwest monsoon, locally known as habagat, which would likely trigger heavy rains in the western sections of Luzon and Visayas this weekend. (John Eric Mendoza © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
