Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 21) – Tropical Depression Egay is forecast to intensify into a tropical storm by tomorrow, the state weather bureau said late Friday evening.
In its 11 p.m. bulletin, the Philippines Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Egay has maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of 70 kph.Egay was last spotted 825 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon moving northwestwards.“‘Yong tinatayang movement ng sentro ng bagyo sa ngayon ay hindi inaasahang tatama sa landmass ng bansa,” Senior weather specialist Chris Perez said in a press briefing on Friday.[Translation: The estimated movement of the typhoon’s center at the moment is not expected to hit the landmass of the country.]PAGASA said Egay has no direct effect in the country but heavy rainfall is possible in Catanduanes Northern Samar from Sunday afternoon to Monday afternoon.“Hindi natin niru-rule out yung posibilidad na pwedeng may mahagip ang bahagi ng ating bansa particular na dito sa northeastern part ng Luzon,” Perez added.[Translation: We are not ruling out the possibility that it could hit some parts of our country, particularly here in the northeastern part of Luzon.]Perez said monsoon rains are also possible over the western sections of MIMAROPA and Visayas on Sunday and western sections of Southern Luzon and Western Visayas on Monday and Tuesday. He added that wind signals may be hoisted in some areas of the Bicol Region and Eastern Visayas by Friday night or Saturday morning.Egay may also bring moderate to rough seas over the eastern seaboards of Southern Luzon and Eastern Visayas, according to PAGASA.The weather disturbance entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) east of Mindanao on Monday afternoon and developed into a tropical depression on Friday morning.
