‘Egay’ weakens, but 2 low-pressure areas nearing PH

With “Egay” leaving, can “Falcon” be far behind? And don’t forget “Goring.” He’s coming our way, too.

Weakening as it spun closer toward northern Luzon, Tropical Depression Egay is forecast to exit the Philippine area of responsibility late Monday or early Tuesday without making landfall on any part of Luzon, the weather bureau said.

Forecaster Jori Loiz of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Egay had lost strength as it neared Cagayan and Isabela on Sunday.

On its way out, it may likely be downgraded into a low-pressure area, Loiz said.

“It will not make a landfall in northern Philippines. It will just get close but will not make a landfall,” he said.

Here comes Falcon

As of Sunday, Pagasa still maintained Egay’s status as a tropical depression even though international weather agencies had elevated it into a tropical storm.

“It is quite weak. Tomorrow, it’ll just be an LPA (low-pressure area),” Loiz said.

Graciano Yumul, supervising science undersecretary for Pagasa, said the bureau was also tracking another brewing low-pressure area which it might elevate into a tropical depression by Tuesday.

When upgraded, the new weather disturbance will be named Falcon, based on a lineup of names Pagasa has drawn up for the next four years.

Yumul said that while the new weather disturbance was also not expected to make landfall in the Philippines, Falcon “will enhance the southwest monsoon,” meaning more rains over the country’s western seaboard.

Goring is next

Falcon would not be the last weather threat by any means this month.

Pagasa is expecting still another low-pressure area to develop into a tropical depression by the last week of June, and has already a name for it—Goring.

Once in the Philippine area of responsibility, Goring will be the country’s fourth weather disturbance this June, consistent with the climate average.

Low-pressure areas enter the country in a series in the wettest months of June, July and August, Loiz said, citing weather history.

“The LPA comes one after another, like train (cars), especially when the intertropical convergence zone is strong,” he said.

Per Pagasa’s tracking, Egay was blowing on Sunday with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour near the center as it moved northwest at 17 kph.

As of 11 a.m. Sunday, Signal No. 1 had been hoisted over the provinces of Aurora, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Ifugao, Mt. Province, Isabela, Cagayan, the Batanes island groups, Kalinga, Abra, Apayao and Ilocos Norte.

Despite Egay’s weakened state, the bad weather it brought caused the cancellation on Sunday of 12 domestic flights from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 3, according to the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA).

All canceled flights involved Cebu Pacific aircraft, said an MIAA list furnished the Inquirer.

Bad weather also delayed the departure of three Air Philippines flights.

Bicol cleared

The Philippine Coast Guard in Bicol lifted its suspension of maritime operation and allowed passenger sea vessels to sail from major ports across the Bicol Peninsula.

Nelson Torre of the Coast Guard said the agency gave the green light to all types of passenger sea vessels after Pagasa cleared the six provinces in Bicol of any storm warning signals.

The Coast Guard earlier suspended maritime operations in the region, stranding 603 passengers, 31 trucks, four cars, 10 buses, 13 sea vessels and 13 motor bancas at the ports of Tabaco in Albay; Bulan and Pilar in Sorsogon; Masbate; Pasacao, Sabang and Sangay in Camarines Sur; and Virac and San Andres in Catanduanes. With reports from Jerry E. Esplanada in Manila, and Mar S. Arguelles, Inquirer Southern Luzon