PAGASA names Tropical Storm Emong, landfall forecast over Ilocos Region within 36 hours
Tropical Storm Emong was named by PAGASA on July 23, 2025, as the system intensified over the West Philippine Sea. Further intensification is forecast and landfall is expected over Ilocos Sur, La Union, or Pangasinan late Thursday or early Friday. Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), authority for the basin, has not yet upgraded the system to tropical storm status.
Tropical Storm Emong on July 23, 2025. Credit: JMA/Himawari-9, Zoom Earth, The Watchers
At 17:00 local time (09:00 UTC) on July 23, Emong’s center was located approximately 150 km (93 miles) west-northwest of Sinait, Ilocos Sur, moving southwestward at 20 km/h (12 mph). Emong had maximum sustained winds near the center of 65 km/h (40 mph) and gusts reaching 80 km/h (50 mph), according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
According to forecast models, Emong is expected to complete a clockwise loop over the West Philippine Sea between the morning and afternoon of July 24, influenced by its interaction with nearby Tropical Storm Dante.
The system will then track northeastward and make landfall over Ilocos Sur, La Union, or Pangasinan late on July 24 or early on July 25 (local time).
After traversing Northern Luzon’s mountainous terrain, Emong is forecast to emerge over the Luzon Strait on Friday afternoon. It may reach severe tropical storm intensity before landfall, but is expected to weaken back to tropical storm strength while crossing land.
While named by the PAGASA under its regional naming convention, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) had not yet upgraded the system to tropical storm status, under its 10-minute wind speed classification threshold of 65 km/h (40 mph). Without this upgrade, JMA has not assigned the system an international name. If the threshold is met, it will be named Co-may in line with the 2025 western North Pacific tropical cyclone naming list.
Emong is enhancing the Southwest Monsoon, locally known as Habagat, which is bringing widespread severe weather across the western sections of Luzon and Visayas. Strong to gale-force winds are affecting multiple regions including Central Luzon, Metro Manila, CALABARZON, Bicol Region, MIMAROPA, and parts of Visayas and Mindanao.
These conditions are forecast to persist through July 25 as the storm influences the regional weather pattern. The rainfall outlook remains elevated across these regions due to continued moisture advection from the storm’s circulation.
A Gale Warning is in effect over the western seaboard of Northern Luzon. Very rough seas up to 6 m (20 feet) are expected off the coast of Pangasinan, with wave heights reaching 4.5 m (15 feet) along the coastlines of Zambales and Bataan.
Additional areas, including Lubang Island, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, Romblon, and several offshore islands, are experiencing rough to moderate seas, with wave heights ranging from 2 to 4 m (6.5 to 13 feet). Maritime authorities strongly advise all vessels, especially small seacrafts and motorbancas, to remain in port or seek shelter until conditions improve.
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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