Bagyong Amang January 2015 - Philippine Typhoon

This page will inhouse the updates for the first typhoon in the country. The first Philippine typhoon will likely to appear on the first month of the year. Bagyong Amang might occur sooner than expected due to a Low Pressure Area (LPA) within the Visayas and Mindanao region as monitored by the country's weather bureau.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) announces today that a low pressure area has been affecting the Visayas and Mindanao provinces and is expecting to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Wednesday.

The said weather disturbance will be called as Bagyong Amang as a scheduled name for the first typhoon that would occur this year.

Furthermore, PAGASA said that it could bring rains during the Pope's visit on Tacloban City on January 17, 2015. The Vatican Pope will be visiting the Yolanda victims on Tacloban as part of its itinerary during his visit to the country. With this, the rain could bring a more suited feeling for the visit, according to the Filipino netizens.

Meanwhile, the Philippine weather bureau had announced that it will now officially using the term "Super Typhoon" in classifying weather disturbance in the country. Before this, PAGASA only have the term "Typhoon" in classifying weather disturbance. The November 2013 Bagyong Yolanda forced the weather agency to review its labeling.

Below is the satellite image from PAGASA taken on January 12, 2015 - 9 p.m.

January 15, 2015 Update:

At 4:00 pm today, Tropical Storm "AMANG" was estimated based on all available data at 765 km East of Guiuan, Eastern Samar (11.7ºN, 132.7ºE), with maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph. It is forecast to move west northwest at 19 kph. Northeast monsoon affecting Luzon. There is a possibility of raising public storm warning signals over Catanduanes, Northern Samar and Camarines Norte in the next six (6) hours.

DIAMETER :	300 Kilometers
SPEED :	65 Kilometers per hour
GUSTINESS :	80 Kilometers per hour
POSITION :	905 kilometers east of Guiuan in Eastern Samar
DIRECTION :	West northwest at 19 Kilometers per hour

January 17, 2015 Update:

At 4:00 PM today, Tropical Storm "AMANG" {MEKKHALA} was estimated based on all available data at 60 km north northeast of Borongan City, Eastern Samar (12.1°N, 125.6°E), with maximum sustained winds of 100 kilometer per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 130 kilometer per hour. It is forecast to move northwest at 19 kilometer per hour. Northeast Monsoon affecting Northern Luzon.

Location of Center: (as of  4:00 p.m.)	60 km North Northeast of Borongan City, Eastern Samar
Coordinates:	12.1°N, 125.6°E
Strength:	Maximum sustained winds of 100 kilometer per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 130 kilometer per hour.
Movement:	Forecast to move Northwest at 19 kilometer per hour.
Forecast Positions/Outlook:	Sunday afternoon: 115 km East of Infanta, Quezon Monday afternoon: 155 km Easat Northeast of Aparri, Cagayan Tuesday afternoon: 415 km East Northeast of Basco, Batanes

Signal Number 2 (Winds of 61-100 kilometer per hour is expected in at least 24 hrs)
Catanduanes
Albay
Camarines Sur Camarines Norte Southern Quezon Polillo Island
Sorsogon
Masbate
Burias Island
Ticao Island.

Signal Number 1 (Winds of 30-60 kilometer per hour is expected in at least 36 hrs)
Metro Manila
Cavite
Laguna
Rizal
Batangas
Bulacan
Nueva Ecija
Aurora
Quirino
Isabela
Rest of Quezon
Marinduque
Oriental Mindoro
Romblon


January 18, 2015 Update:
At 4:00 AM today, January 19, 2015, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) announces that Bagyong Amang was reduced to a Low Pressure Area (LPA) and was estimated based on satellite images and surface data to be in the vicinity of Casiguran, Aurora (16.2°N, 122.1°E). Northeast Monsoon affecting Northern Luzon.

Below is the satellite image as of today, 4 a.m..

Location of Center (as of 4:00 a.m.) : Vicinity of Casiguran, Aurora.

The Philippine weather bureau has also released this forecast:

The regions of Cagayan Valley, Cordillera and Ilocos will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rains. Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will have cloudy skies with light rains. Visayas and Mindanao will be partly cloudy to cloudy. Thunderstorms are likely to occur over these areas.

Moderate to strong winds blowing from the northeast to northwest will prevail over the Luzon and northeast to southeast over Visayas and Mindanao with moderate to rough seas.