Egay slows as Signal No. 4 still up over parts of northern Luzon

Typhoon Egay was moving northwestward, although at a slower pace, as it passed over Dalupiri Island in Cagayan, the state weather bureau PAGASA said in its 2 p.m. Wednesday bulletin.

At 1 p.m., Egay was located over the coastal waters of Calayan (Dalupiri Island), Cagayan, with maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 240 km/h.

It had slowed from 15 km/h at 10 a.m. to 10 km/h as it moved northwestward.

Signal No. 4 was raised over the following areas:

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

Under Signal No. 3 are the following:

• Batanes
• The rest of Cagayan
• The rest of Apayao
• The northern portion of Kalinga (Rizal, Pinukpuk, Balbalan)
• The northern portion 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)
• The rest of Ilocos Norte
• The northern portion of Ilocos Sur (Magsingal, San Juan, Cabugao, Sinait, San Vicente, Santo Domingo, San Ildefonso, Bantay, Santa Catalina, City of Vigan, Caoayan, Santa, Nagbukel, Narvacan)

Signal No. 2 was hoisted over the following areas:

• Isabela
• The rest of Kalinga
• Mountain Province
• Ifugao
• Benguet
• The rest of Abra
• The rest of Ilocos Sur
• La Union
• The northern and western portions of Pangasinan (Sison, San Jacinto, Pozorrubio, San Fabian, Dagupan City, Calasiao, Binmaley, Lingayen, Bugallon, Mabini, Labrador, Infanta, Dasol, Burgos, Agno, City of Alaminos, Sual, Anda, Bolinao, Bani, San Manuel, Binalonan, Laoac, Manaoag, Mangaldan, Mapandan, Santa Barbara, San Nicolas)

These areas are under Signal No.1:

• Aurora
• Quirino
• Nueva Vizcaya
• The rest of Pangasinan
• Nueva Ecija
• Tarlac
• Pampanga
• Bulacan
• Zambales
• Bataan
• Metro Manila
• Rizal
• Cavite
• Laguna
• The northern portion of Batangas (Talisay, City of Tanauan, Santo Tomas, Balete, Malvar, Lipa City)
• The northern and central portion 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, City of Tayabas, Dolores, Sariaya, Candelaria, Tiaong, San Antonio) including Polillo Islands
• The northern portion of Camarines Norte (Santa Elena, Vinzons, Labo, Capalonga, Paracale, San Vicente, Talisay, Jose Panganiban)

PAGASA said the Southwest Monsoon enhanced by Egay would continue to bring occasional to monsoon rains over the western portions of Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, and Visayas in the next three days.

''There is a high risk of storm surge which may cause flooding in the low-lying and exposed coastal areas of Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Norte, and portions of Isabela and Ilocos Sur. Maximum surge heights may exceed 3.0 m in most of the warning areas,'' it added. 

The typhoon is forecast to exhibit trochoidal or wobbling motion while in the vicinity of the Babuyan Islands, moving generally northwestward or north northwestward.

It will gradually weaken throughout the forecast period due to the slightly favorable environment offsetting the impact of land interaction with Northern Luzon and Taiwan.

Egay is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Thursday morning. 

Effects, government response

One person reportedly died while two others were injured as Egay dumped rains in parts of the country, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

In its situational report on Wednesday morning, the NDRRMC said it is validating the death and the injuries.

No one has been reported missing so far.

Meanwhile, a total of 44,356 families or 180,439 individuals were affected by Egay in eight regions, 21 provinces, 65 cities/municipalities and 261 barangays.

Displaced persons totaled 11,041, the majority of whom stayed inside 107 evacuation centers.

Fifty-seven houses have been damaged so far, with 49 partially damaged and eight totally damaged. The total estimated cost of the damaged homes is P195,000.

CebGo canceled its Manila-Naga-Manila flights on Wednesday due to inclement weather, according to the Manila International Airport Authority.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said over P173 million in standby funds as well as food and non-food items have been prepared for the typhoon victims.

Marcos also said search, rescue, and retrieval personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Philippine Coast Guard were already deployed to affected areas. —Jiselle Casucian/VBL, GMA Integrated News