Tropical Storm Maymay continues to hold its intensity as it tracks northeastward off the coast of Ilocos Sur, according to the state weather bureau PAGASA.
As of 4:00 PM Wednesday, the storm was spotted 145 km west of Sinait, Ilocos Sur, packing maximum sustained winds of 75 km/h with gusts reaching up to 90 km/h, while moving north-northeast at 10 km/h.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 remains active over southern Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, northern and central La Union, northwestern Pangasinan, Abra, western Kalinga, western Mountain Province, and northwestern Benguet.
Meanwhile, TCWS No. 1 is in effect for the rest of mainland Northern Luzon and portions of Central Luzon.
Forecasters expect Maymay to turn eastward and make landfall over the Ilocos-La Union area late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. The storm is forecast to weaken into a low pressure area by Thursday afternoon or evening as it crosses the rugged terrain of Northern Luzon.
Heavy weather will persist through Thursday across Northern and Central Luzon. Torrential rains are forecast for Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Benguet, while heavy to intense rainfall will affect Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Pangasinan, and Zambales.
The southwest monsoon (Habagat) will also continue to impact Southern Luzon and Western Visayas before spreading across Luzon and the Visayas over the weekend, creating high risks of widespread flooding and landslides.