Signal No. 1 Areas Intensified: 7 Key Regions Affected
Tropical Storm Emong Intensifies, Triggers Signal No.1 in Seven Luzon Areas; Dante Also Active
Manila, Philippines – Tropical Storm Emong has significantly strengthened, prompting the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Governance (PAGASA) to raise Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 over seven areas in Luzon as of its 5 p.m. Wednesday bulletin.
The affected provinces are:
ilocos Norte
Ilocos sur
La Union
Western and western portions of Pangasinan (masol, Burgos, Bani, Bolinao, Alaminos, Labrador, Sual, Dagupan, Binmaley, Bugallon, Infanta, Sison, Mangaldan, San jacinto, Pozorrubio)
Apayao
Abra
* Benguet
emong, now classified as a tropical storm, is packing maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h near its centre, with gusts reaching up to 80 km/h.At 4 p.m., the storm was located 150 km west of Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, and was moving southwestward at a speed of 20 km/h.
PAGASA forecasts Emong to escalate to severe tropical storm strength before making landfall over Ilocos Sur, La Union, or Pangasinan on Thursday evening or early Friday morning. The storm is expected to traverse the mountainous terrain of Northern Luzon, emerging over the luzon Strait on Friday afternoon. This passage is anticipated to weaken Emong back into a tropical storm.
the storm’s track is dynamic, with Emong predicted to move generally southwestward tonight before looping over the West Philippine Sea on Thursday morning through afternoon. This movement is attributed to its interaction with another weather system, Tropical Storm Dante. Subsequently, Emong is expected to shift to a generally northeastward path while accelerating.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Dante was last observed 835 km east-northeast of extreme northern Luzon, with maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h and gusts of up to 80 km/h.Dante is moving north-northwestward at 25 km/h and may experience slight intensification in the next 12 hours. It is forecast to continue its northwestward trajectory over the Philippine Sea for the next 24 hours before heading west-northwestward towards the Ryukyu Islands and the East China Sea. Dante is projected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by tomorrow afternoon or evening.
Weather Impact Across the Archipelago:
Emong is expected to bring rains with gusty winds to the Ilocos Region and the Cordillera Administrative Region.Cagayan Valley will experience cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms.
The Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) will also contribute to the inclement weather, bringing monsoon rains to Metro Manila, Zambales, Bataan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Occidental Mindoro. Occasional rains are forecast for Western Visayas, Nueva ecija, Aurora, Quezon, and the rest of Mimaropa.
The Bicol Region and the rest of Visayas will also see cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms due to the Southwest Monsoon. Mindanao