Tropical depression Emong slightly intensifies as it moves north

MANILA (UPDATE) - Tropical depression Emong slightly intensified as it moves north over the Philippine Sea, the state weather bureau said Sunday.

The country's fifth storm was last estimated 620 kilometers northeast of Catarman, Northern Samar at 10 p.m., moving northwestward at 35 kilometers per hour (kph).

It was packing maximum winds of 55 kph near the center with gusts of up to 70 kph, PAGASA said in its 11 p.m. bulletin.

Emong is expected to intensify into a tropical storm in the next 12 to 24 hours and may traverse over the Batanes-Babuyan Islands area as such, before weakening into a tropical depression due to its interaction with the rugged terrain of southern Taiwan.

PAGASA also said Emong may likely exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Tuesday morning.

Tropical cyclone wind signal no. 1 was raised over the following areas:

• Batanes
• northeastern portion of Cagayan (Santa Ana, Gonzaga) including Babuyan Islands. 

PAGASA said Emong will bring moderate to heavy with at times intense rains over Batanes and Babuyan Islands from Monday night through Tuesday afternoon.

Another brewing storm was spotted 120 km east of Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro, which might develop into tropical storm Fabian, PAGASA weather specialist Aldczar Aurelio earlier said.

• Twin brewing storms to dampen several parts of PH, says PAGASA

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