New storm threatens PH

Image from DOST / Pagasa

Just two days after Typhoon Egay (international name: Doksuri) left the country with large areas devastated in its wake, a new storm is threatening the country.

A tropical depression outside the Philippines has intensified into a tropical storm early on Friday, the state weather bureau said.

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) weather specialist Rhea Toress said the tropical storm, which will get the local name Falcon (international name: Khanun), was about 1,365 kilometers (km) east of Southern Luzon on Friday afternoon.

It may become a typhoon in two days. While outside the country, it may enhance the southwest monsoon or “habagat,” which will result in intermittent rainfall over parts of Luzon and Visayas over the weekend.

Pagasa’s 5 p.m. bulletin on Friday added that it was unlikely that the weather bureau would raise any storm warning over any portion of the country.

Torres also said that Egay had no more effect on any part of the Philippines.

Rainy weather will prevail over western sections of Luzon including the Ilocos Norte capital of Laoag City, which was heavily damaged by Egay, Baguio, Tagaytay, Kalayaan Islands and Metro Manila due to the monsoon.

Although Egay battered parts of Luzon, Pagasa said that the heavy rains it brought raised the water levels of Angat Dam by 5 meters.

According to the latest Pagasa dam information, Angat’s water level rose from 182.98 m to 188.20 m.

Despite this increase, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) asked the National Water Resources Board to limit the dam’s water release to 38 cubic meters per second. This would prevent water spillage and save enough for the summer season.

Angat Dam provides 90 percent of the water supply for Metro Manila.

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Egay, monsoon caused 13 deaths,12 injuries, impacting over 500,000 people – NDRRMC