Typhoon Egay makes landfall in Cagayan's Fuga Island

MANILA, Philippines – Typhoon Egay (Doksuri) made landfall in Fuga Island in Aparri, Cagayan, at 3:10 am on Wednesday, July 26, bringing intense rain and fierce winds.

In a briefing past 5 am on Wednesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Egay was already over the coastal waters of Aparri, moving west at 20 kilometers per hour (km/h).

“In the next 6 hours, Egay may exhibit trochoidal or wobbling motion while in the vicinity of the Babuyan Islands. As such, a landfall over northwestern Cagayan is not ruled out,” added PAGASA. Fuga Island is part of the Babuyan Islands.

So far, Egay still has maximum sustained winds of 175 km/h and gustiness of up to 240 km/h. At its peak, it was a super typhoon.

Here are the areas under tropical cyclone wind signals as of 5 am on Wednesday:

Signal No. 4

Typhoon-force winds (118 to 184 km/h), significant to severe threat to life and property

northern part of Cagayan (Santa Ana, Gonzaga, Claveria, Sanchez Mira, Pamplona, Abulug, Ballesteros, Aparri, Buguey, Santa Teresita, Camalaniugan, Santa Praxedes) including Babuyan Islands
northern part of Apayao (Calanasan, Luna, Santa Marcela)
northern part of Ilocos Norte (Burgos, Bangui, Dumalneg, Pagudpud, Adams, Pasuquin, Vintar, Bacarra)

Signal No. 3

Storm-force winds (89 to 117 km/h), moderate to significant threat to life and property

Batanes
rest of Cagayan
rest of Apayao
northern part of Kalinga (Rizal, Pinukpuk, Balbalan)
northern part of Abra (Tineg, Lagayan, Lacub, Danglas, Bangued, La Paz, San Juan, Dolores, Tayum, Lagangilang, Malibcong, Licuan-Baay, Peñarrubia, Pidigan, Langiden, San Quintin, Bucay, San Isidro, Sallapadan)
rest of Ilocos Norte
northern part of Ilocos Sur (Magsingal, San Juan, Cabugao, Sinait, San Vicente, Santo Domingo, San Ildefonso, Bantay, Santa Catalina, Vigan City, Caoayan, Santa, Nagbukel, Narvacan)

Signal No. 2

Gale-force winds (62 to 88 km/h), minor to moderate threat to life and property

Isabela
rest of Kalinga
Mountain Province
Ifugao
Benguet
rest of Abra
rest of Ilocos Sur
La Union

Signal No. 1

Strong winds (39 to 61 km/h), minimal to minor threat to life and property

Aurora
Quirino
Nueva Vizcaya
Pangasinan
Nueva Ecija
Tarlac
Pampanga
Bulacan
Zambales
Bataan
Metro Manila
Rizal
Cavite
Laguna
northern part of Batangas (Talisay, Tanauan City, Santo Tomas, Balete, Malvar, Lipa City)
northern and central parts of Quezon (Pitogo, Calauag, Infanta, Lopez, Guinayangan, Unisan, Plaridel, Quezon, Alabat, Padre Burgos, Mauban, General Nakar, Perez, Agdangan, Gumaca, Atimonan, Real, Tagkawayan, Lucena City, Pagbilao, Lucban, Sampaloc, Tayabas City, Dolores, Sariaya, Candelaria, Tiaong, San Antonio) including Polillo Islands
Camarines Norte
northern part of Camarines Sur (Siruma, Tinambac, Goa, Lagonoy, Caramoan, Cabusao, Sipocot, Garchitorena, Ragay, Del Gallego, Calabanga, Presentacion, Lupi)
northern part of Catanduanes (Pandan, Bagamanoc, Panganiban, Viga, Caramoran)

“Violent, life-threatening conditions are expected to continue over Babuyan Islands, the northwestern portion of mainland Cagayan, and the northern portions of Apayao and Ilocos Norte in the next 6 hours,” PAGASA warned.

There could be more floods and landslides as well, with rain due to Egay persisting in the following areas on Wednesday:

Above 200 millimeters (mm): northwestern part of Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, northern part of Apayao, Abra, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur
100-200 mm: Batanes, northeastern and central parts of Cagayan, rest of Apayao, western part of Kalinga, western part of Mountain Province, Benguet, La Union
50-100 mm: rest of Cagayan, western part of Nueva Vizcaya, rest of Kalinga, rest of Mountain Province, western part of Ifugao, Pangasinan, Zambales

There remains a high risk of storm surges which may cause floods in the low-lying and exposed coastal areas of the following provinces:

Batanes
Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
portions of Isabela
Ilocos Norte
portions of Ilocos Sur

“Maximum surge heights may exceed 3 meters in most of the warning areas,” PAGASA said.

The weather bureau also released a new gale warning at 5 am on Wednesday, covering these seaboards:

seaboards of Northern Luzon (Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Isabela) – rough to very high, with waves 3.7 to 12.1 meters high
eastern seaboard of Central Luzon (Aurora) – rough to high, with waves 3.1 to 9 meters high
western seaboards of Central Luzon and Southern Luzon, western seaboard of Visayas (Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan including Kalayaan, Calamian, Cuyo, and Cagayancillo islands, Negros Occidental, Guimaras, Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Antique) – rough to very rough, with waves 2.8 to 4.5 meters high
southern and eastern seaboards of Southern Luzon (Metro Manila, Cavite, Batangas, Marinduque, Romblon, Masbate including Ticao and Burias islands, Quezon including Polillo Islands, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, and Sorsogon) – rough to very rough, with waves 2.8 to 4.5 meters high
central and eastern seaboards of Visayas (Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, Siquijor) – rough to very rough, with waves 2.8 to 4.5 meters high

Travel is risky for all vessels in areas with rough to high or very high seas, while travel is risky for small vessels in rough to very rough seas.

Egay might also cause moderate to rough seas in coastal waters along the seaboards of the Visayas and the northern and eastern seaboards of Mindanao that are not covered by the gale warning. Small vessels should take precautionary measures as waves may be 2 to 3 meters high.

Meanwhile, Egay is still enhancing the southwest monsoon or habagat, which continues to affect the Visayas, Mindanao, and the western part of Southern Luzon on Wednesday.

Monsoon rain or frequent, heavy rain will persist in Western Visayas, Palawan, Occidental Mindoro, Zambales, and Bataan, while occasional rain is expected in the rest of Luzon.

The rest of the Visayas will have scattered rain showers and thunderstorms, while Mindanao will only see isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

Areas affected by the enhanced southwest monsoon should still watch out for floods and landslides.

Gusty conditions, still due to the enhanced southwest monsoon, may persist in these areas as well:

Wednesday, July 26

Luzon, Visayas

Thursday, July 27

Luzon, Western Visayas

Friday, July 28

Batanes, Ilocos Region, Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, southern part of Quezon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas

After passing the Babuyan Islands, Egay may turn northwest or north northwest and pass over the waters south and southwest of Taiwan, which is within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

The typhoon is projected to exit PAR on Thursday morning, July 27, then cross the Taiwan Strait and make landfall in Fujian, China, on Friday morning, July 28.

PAGASA also said Egay may weaken, “although the rate of weakening will not be rapid due to [a] slightly favorable environment offsetting the impact of land interaction with the rugged terrain of Northern Luzon and Taiwan.”

But once Egay makes landfall in Fujian and moves inland over mainland China, “a more rapid weakening is expected,” added the weather bureau. The tropical cyclone might degenerate into a remnant low by Saturday, July 29.

Egay is the Philippines’ fifth tropical cyclone for 2023 and the second for July. PAGASA earlier estimated that two to four tropical cyclones would form inside or enter PAR during the month. – Rappler.com