‘Egay’ slightly weakens as it heads to Batanes

SEVERE tropical storm “Egay” (international name: Linfa) slightly weakened after hovering over northern Luzon, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said late Sunday afternoon.

According to its 5 p.m. bulletin, Egay now packs maximum sustained winds at 85 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 100 kph.

The storm’s center was located 55 kilometers west southwest of Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, as of 4 p.m.

Public storm signal no. 2 was hoisted over  Batanes, Cagayan including Calayan and Babuyan group of Islands, Apayao, Kalinga, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and Abra.

Meanwhile, signal no. 1 was up over Pangasinan, Isabela, Benguet, La Union, Mt. Province and Ifugao.

By Monday afternoon, Egay will be 200 kilometers west southwest of Basco, Batanes.

The state weather bureau maintains its warning to fishermen and small sea crafts not to venture out to the Luzon and Visayas seaboards.

Residents in mountainous and low-lying areas where storm signals were raised and the rest of  Northern and Central Luzon, Metro Manila, MIMAROPA and CALABARZON should be alert for possible flashfloods and landslides.

Pagasa says that the tropical storm will exit the country by Wednesday afternoon.