Super Typhoon Egay leaves the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and is enroute to China. Photo courtesy of PAGASA.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) announced on Thursday that Typhoon Egay (also known as Doksuri internationally) has left the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR).
Egay departed the PAR on Thursday morning, as reported by the state weather bureau. However, it also stated that because Egay's scope will still hit that region of the country, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals (TCWS) will still be maintained in the majority of Luzon.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), more than 325,000 people have been impacted by Bagyong Egay and the southwest monsoon, with five reported fatalities. One death was from the CALABARZON region, the other four in the Cordilleras (Benguet).
The four deaths, a mother and her three children, from Benguet were killed due to a landslide striking their house in Buguias Town, NDRRMC deputy spokesperson Diego Mariano says.
The NDRRMC said the typhoon had affected 328,356 people, or 89,639 families, in a situation report released on Thursday. This included 19,826 people staying in various evacuation centers and 26,697 people who were displaced.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and local government units have distributed 1.2 family food packs nationwide. They have also garnered Php 175 million funds which can be used as cash-for-work, food-for-work, and emergency cash transfers.
Another Php 1.2 million monetary assistance has been provided to Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, BARMM and Cordillera.
On Friday, July 28, early in the morning, Egay is expected to reach Fujian, China, after leaving PAR.
Prior to making landfall in China, Egay may largely maintain its strength, enhancing a southwest monsoon or habagat according to PAGASA, though a slight weakening is still a possibility.
"Rapid weakening is expected once Egay makes landfall over mainland China and moves further inland," the weather service added.
Egay is the second tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines in July 2023 and the fifth overall. Two to four tropical cyclones were predicted to form inside or enter PAR during the month by PAGASA.
“Falcon”
After Typhoon Egay battered parts of Luzon before leaving the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Thursday morning, another weather disturbance is now posing a threat to the nation.
State meteorologists say that the low pressure area that the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) had been keeping an eye on has now strengthened into a tropical depression and may even intensify into a typhoon in the coming days.
According to weather expert Benison Estareja, "it has no direct effect yet in the country in the next two days, but it is likely that on the first day of August, this weather disturbance will enhance the southwest monsoon or what we call "habagat" to bring rain."
It will be called “Falcon” once it starts to be a tropical depression.