‘Egay’ slows down but intensifies; signal No. 2 up in 8 areas

Pagasa satellite image as of 5:00 PM, Saturday, July 4, 2015

Tropical Storm “Egay” (international name: Linfa) slowed down but intensified as it continued to move toward northern Luzon, the state weather bureau said on Saturday afternoon.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that as of 5 p.m., Egay was moving northwest at 9 kilometers per hour. It was last spotted 160 kilometers northeast of Casiguran, Aurora.

It packed maximum sustained winds of 95 kph and gustiness of up to 120 kph.

Public storm warning Signal No. 2 was raised in Kalinga, Apayao, Isabela, Quirino, northern Aurora, Cagayan, including the Babuyan and Calayan Group of Islands.

The rest of Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Ifugao, Benguet, Mt. Province, Ilocos Sur, Abra and Ilocos Norte were under public storm warning Signal No. 1.

In a televised briefing, Pagasa weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said Egay continued to strengthen habagat (southwest monsoon), which would bring rains in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Aurelio added that Metro Manila, Mimaropa, Calabarzon, and Bicol region would experience moderate to heavy rains, warning residents of possible flashfloods and landslides.