Signal No. 2 still up over E. Samar, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte due to Auring

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 remained hoisted over the areas of Eastern Samar, Dinagat Islands, and Surigao del Norte on Sunday morning as Tropical Storm Auring (international name: Dujuan) slowed down.

In its 8 a.m. severe weather bulletin on Sunday, state weather bureau PAGASA said the following areas are under TCWS No. 2:

• central and southern portions of Eastern Samar (Sulat, Taft, San Julian, Borongan City, Maydolong, Balangkayan, Balangiga, Lawaan, Llorente, Hernani, General Macarthur, Quinapondan, Giporlos, Salcedo, Mercedes, Guiuan)
• Dinagat Islands
• Surigao del Norte including Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands

Meanwhile, TCWS No. 1 was raised over the following areas:

• Sorsogon
• Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands, Albay, Catanduanes
• eastern portion of Camarines Sur (Caramoan, Presentacion, Sagnay, Buhi, Iriga City, Nabua, Bato, Balatan)
• Northern Samar
• the rest of Eastern Samar
• Samar
• Biliran
• Leyte
• Southern Leyte
• Cebu
• Bohol
• Siquijor
• Negros Oriental
• northern and central portions of Negros Occidental (Kabankalan City, Himamaylan City, Binalbagan, Isabela, Moises Padilla, Hinigaran, La Castellana, Pontevedra, San Enrique, La Carlota City, Pulupandan, Valladolid, Bago City, Murcia, Bacolod City, Talisay City, Silay City, Enrique B. Magalona, Victorias City, Manapla, Cadiz City, Sagay City, Escalante City, Toboso, Calatrava, San Carlos City, Salvador Benedicto)
• eastern portion of Iloilo (San Rafael, Barotac Viejo, Lemery, Ajuy, Sara, Concepcion, San Dionisio, Batad, Estancia, Balasan, Carles)
• eastern portion of Capiz  (Roxas City, Panitan, Ma-Ayon, Cuartero, Dumarao, Panay, Pontevedra, President Roxas, Pilar)
• Surigao del Sur
• Agusan del Norte
• Agusan del Sur
• Davao Oriental
• Davao de Oro
• Davao del Norte
• Davao City
• Camiguin
• Misamis Oriental
• Bukidnon

According to PAGASA, Auring is expected to bring moderate to heavy rains with at times intense rains over Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur.

Moderate to heavy rains will be experienced over Eastern Visayas, Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon, Camiguin, and the rest of Caraga.

Light to moderate with at times heavy rains are expected over Bicol Region, MIMAROPA, Zamboanga Peninsula, Quezon, the northern portion of Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro, and the rest of Visayas and Northern Mindanao.

Due to these, PAGASA warned of possible scattered flooding including flash floods, and rain-induced landslides during heavy or prolonged rainfall especially in areas that are prone to these hazards.

Also, adjacent or nearby areas may experience flooding even without experiencing rains  due to surface runoff or swelling of river channels.

According to PAGASA, the combined effects of the surge of the Northeast Monsoon and Auring will bring gale-force winds in areas under Signal No. 2 in the next 24 hours.

Strong breeze to near-gale conditions with occasionally higher gusts will be experienced in areas under Signal No. 1, as well as CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Aurora, and the rest of Visayas and Bicol Region.

Rough to very rough seas up to 5 meters will be experienced over the seaboards of areas under TCWS, while up to 4.5 m of rough to very rough seas may also be experienced in eastern seaboard of Luzon.

Over the southern seaboard of Luzon including the eastern seaboard of Palawan), the remaining seaboards of Visayas, and the northern, eastern, and western seaboards of Mindanao that are not under TCWS, rough seas of up to 4 meters can be experienced.

“Sea travel is risky for all types of sea vessels over these waters,” PAGASA warned.

Over the remaining seaboards of the country, PAGASA said moderate to rough seas of up to 3 meters may be experienced.

“Mariners of small seacrafts are advised to take precautionary measures when venturing out to sea. Inexperienced mariners should avoid navigating in these conditions,” PAGASA said.

At 7 a.m., Auring was located at 370 kilometers east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur with maximum sustained winds of 65 km per hour and gustiness of up to 80 km/h, moving west northwestward at 10 km/h.

PAGASA said Auring may initially make landfall over the Dinagat Islands-Eastern area between Sunday evening or Monday early morning.

Auring may downgrade into a tropical depression before it makes landfall due to persistent high vertical wind shear associated with the surge of the Northeast Monsoon, PAGASA said.

“However, the possibility that the storm will maintain its strength until landfall is not yet ruled out,” PAGASA noted.

Rains felt

Interviewed on Dobol B sa News TV, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) – Caraga Director Liza Mazo said moderate rains are already being experienced in Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, and Dinagat Island.

“So expected na ngayong araw iyon kasi nga papalapit na siya,” she said.

Around 4,000 people have been evacuated from coastal and landslide prone areas amid the threat of Auring, she added.

So far, no flooding has been reported yet in the region, according to Mazo.

Meanwhile in Eastern Visayas, OCD – Region 8 Director Lord Byron Torrecarion said that at last 42 families have been evacuated from their homes.

According to him, the rains and the strength of the winds are moderate.

“Ang concern namin is the rainfall, medyo mabagal 'yung lakad ng bagyo so 'yung rainfall, which may cause floding and landslide,” he said in a separate interview on Dobol B sa News TV. —Joviland Rita/KG, GMA News