‘Egay’ affects 381,000; still no classes in metro, 3 provinces

Powerful typhoon "Egay" may have weakened slightly but it has already affected 381,014 people in three regions, the National Disaster Coordinating Council said Friday evening. There will be no classes Saturday in Metro Manila and three provinces. State weather agency Pagasa said in its 5 p.m. advisory that Egay (international name: Sepat) slightly weakened but still packed 205 kilometer per hour winds near the center, with gustiness up to 240 kph. In its earlier advisory at 11 a.m., the typhoon had 215 kph winds with 250 kph gusts. The NDCC said it its 6 p.m. advisory that those affected by the typhoon were from 79,955 families in two cities and 23 towns in Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and Calabarzon. Those evacuated included 222 families or 1,207 people, who were moved to seven facilities. The NDCC had reported in its earlier advisory at noon that more than 372,000 people were affected, all in 20 flooded towns in Pampanga province. NDCC spokesman Anthony Golez, also Office of Civil Defense deputy administrator, announced that there will be no classes Saturday at all levels in Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga and Tarlac. Golez said classes were suspended in areas were rains were still expected. Egay was located 150 kilometers northeast of Basco, Batanes or 320 km northeast of Aparri, Cagayan. It was still moving northwest at 19 kph. Still under Storm Signal 3 were the Batanes islands. Under Signal 2 were the Babuyan Group of Islands. Under Signal 1 were Cagayan, Isabela, Northern Aurora, Kalinga, Apayao, Ilocos Norte, and Abra. Pagasa forecast that by Saturday afternoon, "Egay" to be 340 km northwest of Basco, Batanes or over the island-nation of Taiwan north of the Philippines. By Sunday afternoon, it said "Egay" will be over southeastern China. The weather agency said "Egay" will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon , which will bring occasional rains over Luzon and the western part of the Visayas. Residents along coastal areas were alerted against big waves and storm surges generated by the typhoon. Pagasa warned those living in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes to take all the necessary precautions against possible flashfloods and landslides. Batanes and Babuyan group of islands will have stormy weather while Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, Kalinga, Apayao, Ilocos Norte and Abra will experience rains and gusty winds. Coastal waters along these areas will be rough. The western section of Luzon will have monsoon rains while the rest of Luzon and Western Visayas will be cloudy with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms. The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms. Moderate to strong winds blowing from the southwest will prevail over the rest of Luzon and Visayas and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough. Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate blowing from the southwest and south with slight to moderate seas. -GMANews.TV