Igme turns into tropical storm, enhances Habagat

Tropical Depression Igme has become stronger and became a tropical storm on Saturday morning, PAGASA said in its 11 a.m. severe weather bulletin.

Igme (international name: Bavi) is enhancing the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) which may bring intermittent gusts over Batanes and Babuyan Islands.

The monsoon will also bring light to moderate rains, which may be at times heavy, over Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Zambales, and Bataan.

Residents in areas prone to flooding and landslides were advised to take the necessary precautions.

PAGASA also advised those with small sea craft not to venture out to sea in the northern and western seaboards of Luzon. Coastal waters in these areas will be moderate to rough.

At 10 a.m., the eye or center of Igme was located at 340 km north northeast of Basco, Batanes.

Igme has maximum sustained winds of up to 65 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 80 km/h.

The tropical storm is moving northwest at 10 km/h toward the southern Ryukyu islands of Japan. 

Igme is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) between Saturday night and early Sunday morning.

The tropical storm may also intensify further into a severe tropical storm within 24 hours.

PAGASA is also monitoring a low pressure area (LPA) located at 295 km east of Davao City as of 10 a.m.

The LPA may become a tropical depression in the next two days and bring light to moderate, and at times heavy, rains over Mindanao.

PAGASA advised the public to await its public weather forecast at 4 p.m. and its severe weather bulletin at 11 p.m. on Saturday. —KG, GMA News