MANILA, Philippines – The declaration of Signal No. 5 was expanded to cover the entire Babuyan Islands early Tuesday evening, July 25, as Super Typhoon Egay (Doksuri) maintained its strength.

Signal No. 5 was earlier raised only in Camiguin Island, one of the islands in the Babuyan group in Cagayan province.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its 8 pm bulletin on Tuesday that Egay was already 135 kilometers east northeast of Aparri, Cagayan, moving northwest at a slightly slower 15 kilometers per hour from the previous 20 km/h.

It continues to have maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h and gustiness of up to 230 km/h.

The super typhoon is still projected to make landfall in or pass very close to the Babuyan Islands-northeastern mainland Cagayan area between late Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, July 26.

But if Egay’s track shifts slightly northward or southward, landfall or a close approach would also be possible in northern mainland Cagayan or Batanes.

These areas are under tropical cyclone wind signals as of 8 pm on Tuesday:

Signal No. 5

Typhoon-force winds (185 km/h), extreme threat to life and property

• Babuyan Islands

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)

Signal No. 3

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

• rest of Cagayan
• northeastern part of Isabela (Divilacan, Maconacon, Palanan, Santa Maria, San Pablo, Santo Tomas, Cabagan, Tumauini)
• Batanes
• Apayao
• northern part of Kalinga (Rizal, Pinukpuk, Balbalan)
• northern part of Abra (Tineg, Lagayan, Lacub, Danglas)
• Ilocos Norte

Signal No. 2

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

• rest of Isabela
• Quirino
• northeastern part of Nueva Vizcaya (Kasibu, Quezon, Diadi, Bagabag, Ambaguio, Villaverde, Solano, Bayombong)
• northern and central parts of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, Dipaculao)
• rest of Kalinga
• rest of Abra
• Mountain Province
• Ifugao
• northern part of Benguet (Bakun, Mankayan, Buguias, Kabayan, Kibungan, Atok)
• Ilocos Sur
• northern part of La Union (Bangar, Sudipen, Luna, Balaoan, Santol)

Signal No. 1

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

• rest of Aurora
• rest of Nueva Vizcaya
• rest of Benguet
• rest of La Union
• Pangasinan
• Nueva Ecija
• Tarlac
• Zambales
• Bulacan
• Pampanga
• Bataan
• Metro Manila
• Cavite
• Rizal
• 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)

Moderate to intense rain from Egay is expected to persist until Thursday, July 27. Affected areas must stay on alert for floods and landslides.

Tuesday afternoon, July 25, to Wednesday afternoon, July 26

• Above 200 millimeters (mm): northern part of Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Batanes, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Apayao, Abra
• 100-200 mm: Benguet, northern part of La Union, western part of Kalinga
• 50-100 mm: Isabela, northern part of Zambales, rest of Cagayan, rest of Ilocos Region, rest of Cordillera Administrative Region

Wednesday afternoon, July 26, to Thursday afternoon, July 27

• 100-200 mm: Batanes, Ilocos Norte, northern part of Ilocos Sur, western part of Apayao, western part of Abra
• 50-100 mm: Benguet, La Union, Pangasinan, western part of Kalinga, western part of Mountain Province, rest of Apayao

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
• Isabela
• Ilocos Norte
• Ilocos Sur

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

PAGASA also issued a new gale warning at 5 pm on Tuesday, 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 6.5 meters high
• western seaboard of Central Luzon, eastern and southern seaboards of Southern Luzon (Zambales, Bataan, Metro Manila, Cavite, Batangas, Marinduque, rest of Quezon, rest of Camarines Sur, rest of Albay, rest of Sorsogon, Masbate including Ticao and Burias islands, eastern coast of Quezon including Polillo Islands, Camarines Norte, northern and eastern coasts of Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, eastern coast of Albay, eastern coast of Sorsogon) – rough to very rough, with waves 2.8 to 4.5 meters high
• western and southern seaboards of Southern Luzon, seaboards of Visayas (Romblon, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Guimaras, Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Antique, Siquijor, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan including Kalayaan, Calamian, Cuyo, and Cagayancillo islands) – rough to very rough, with waves 2.8 to 4.5 meters high
• eastern seaboard of Mindanao (eastern coast of Surigao del Norte including Siargao and Bucas Grande islands, Dinagat Islands) – 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 western, northern, and eastern seaboards of Mindanao not covered by the gale warning. Small vessels should take precautionary measures as waves may be 2 to 3.5 meters high.

Meanwhile, Egay is still enhancing the southwest monsoon or habagat. Rain from the enhanced southwest monsoon will be heaviest in these areas:

Tuesday, July 25

• 50-100 mm: Occidental Mindoro, northern part of Palawan including Cuyo, Calamian, and Kalayaan islands, Western Visayas

Wednesday, July 26

• 50-100 mm: Zambales, Bataan, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, northern part of Palawan including Cuyo, Calamian, Kalayaan, and Cagayancillo islands, Antique

Thursday, July 27

• 50-100 mm: Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro, northern part of Palawan including Cuyo, Calamian, and Kalayaan islands

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

Tuesday, July 25

• Luzon, Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, northern part of Northern Mindanao, northern part of Caraga

Wednesday, July 26

• Luzon, Visayas

Thursday, July 27

• Luzon, Western Visayas

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

The super typhoon could leave PAR on Thursday morning, then cross the Taiwan Strait and make landfall in Fujian, China, on Friday morning, July 28.

PAGASA also said Egay may start weakening as it interacts with the rugged terrain of Northern Luzon and Taiwan.

Further weakening is likely outside PAR due to an “increasingly unfavorable environment” and the potential landfall in China.

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