‘Igme’ intensifies further, moves northward

MANILA (Updated) -- The ninth storm to visit the Philippines this year intensified further after it developed into a typhoon Monday.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Typhoon Igme (international codename: Tembin) will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon as it continues to move northward.

Several provinces in Luzon, particular Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Batangas and Mindanao, are expected to experience light to moderate rains due to the combined effect of Igme and the southwest monsoon.

As of this posting Monday, the provinces of Isabel and Cagayan remained under public storm warning signal number 1. Residents in these areas will experience winds of 30-60 kilometers per hour (kph).

Pagasa said Igme is moving north slowly. It was spotted as of 10 p.m. Monday at 330 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan, packing maximum sustained winds of 150 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 185 kph.

Satellite image of Typhoon Igme as of 10:32 p.m. of August 20, 2012 (Source: Pagasa)

Pagasa Administrator Nathaniel Servando said earlier, however, that Igme will not directly hit any part of the country since its movement brings it closer to Taiwan by Wednesday evening or Thursday.

He warned fishermen, though, not to venture out into the eastern seaboards of Central and Southern Luzon due to the typhoon.

He said a typhoon can also wreak havoc to agriculture, uproot large trees, and topple power and communication lines because of maximum sustained winds estimated at 118 kph and above.

Pagasa said expected Igme to be at 300 kilometers east northeast of Basco, Batanes by Tuesday evening; 370 kilometers north northeast of the area by Wednesday evening; and 500 kilometers north northwest of the town by Thursday evening.

Elsewhere in the western Pacific, the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center and website accuweather.com spotted two potential tropical cyclones.

Meteorologist Evan Duffrey said a low pressure area west of Guam was beginning to show some characteristics of a tropical cyclone, and is expected to become a tropical storm over the next 24 hours.

The accuweather.com forecaster said the system is expected to take a generally westerly path, but until the storm has developed, modeling will be difficult.

In Marianas, Duffrey said the weather disturbance will need to be watched over the next couple of days for potential development. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)