Signal No. 1 up in 11 areas as Agaton remains 'almost stationary'

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 remained hoisted over 11 areas in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao due to Tropical Depression Agaton, PAGASA said on Monday afternoon.

In its 2 p.m. bulletin, state weather bureau PAGASA said the following areas are under TCWS No. 1:

• the southern portion of Masbate (Dimasalang, Palanas, Cataingan, Pio V. Corpuz, Esperanza, Placer, Cawayan);
• Eastern Samar;
• Samar;
• Northern Samar;
• Biliran;
• Leyte;
• Southern Leyte;
• the northeastern portion of Cebu (Daanbantayan, San Remigio, Medellin, City of Bogo, Tabogon, Borbon, Sogod, Catmon, Carmen, Danao City, Compostela, Liloan) including Camotes Island; and
• the eastern portion of Bohol (Getafe, Talibon, Bien Unido, Trinidad, Ubay, San Miguel, Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, Mabini);
• Surigao del Norte; and
• Dinagat Islands.

PAGASA said these areas have strong winds prevailing or are expected within the next 36 hours that may result in minimal to minor threat to life and property.

Agaton (international name: Megi) slightly weakened hours after it diminished into a tropical depression on Monday morning.

As of 1 p.m., the center of Agaton was estimated at 11.1°N, 125.2°E over the coastal waters of Marabut, Samar.

It has maximum sustained winds of 45 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 60 km/h, and central pressure of 1002 hPa.

PAGASA said Agaton’s movement is almost stationary over San Pablo Bay.

It also has strong winds or higher that extend outwards up to 150 km from the center.

Rainfall

Moderate to heavy with at times intense rains will be experienced over Sorsogon, Masbate, Romblon, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, the northern and central portions of Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands, the northern portion of Negros Oriental, the northern portion of Negros Occidental, Aklan, Capiz, Iloilo, Antique, Guimaras.

Meanwhile, Dinagat Islands, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Quezon, and the rest of Bicol Region and Visayas will experience light to moderate with at times heavy rains.

Coastal waters

PAGASA said the seas will be rough to very rough (2.8 to 4.5 m) in the next 24 hours over the seaboards of areas under TCWS No. 1. Sea travel may be risky for most seacraft.

As for areas in the rest of the country that are not under any TCWS, coastal waters will be moderate to rough (1.2 to 3.4 m), which may be risky for small seacraft, it added.

Track, intensity

From Monday and through Tuesday afternoon, Agaton is forecast to slowly loop in the vicinity of the northeastern portion of Leyte and the southern portions of Samar and Eastern Samar before emerging over the Philippine Sea by Tuesday evening as another tropical cyclone with international name “Malakas” begins to interact with it.

PAGASA said Agaton is forecast to remain a tropical depression. However, it may further weaken into a remnant low by Wednesday evening as it becomes assimilated within the circulation of Malakas.

Agaton made landfall over Calicoan Island in Guiuan at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday.

Three individuals died in Negros Oriental due to Agaton, local authorities said, while several areas in the Visayas and Mindanao experienced flooding due to the rains brought by the storm.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), however, on Monday said reports of one person dead and one missing in Region 11 are still for validation. It however confirmed that two were injured in Region 10 due to Agaton.

The NDRRMC also said that 136,390 people or 86,515 families were affected by Agaton in 201 barangays in Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Davao, Soccsksargen, Caraga, and Bangsamoro.

Close to 2,000 passengers were stranded in various ports on Monday morning due to Agaton, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.

Classes for Monday, April 11, were also canceled in some areas due to Agaton. —KBK, GMA News