9 areas under Signal No. 1 as Agaton moves over Santa Rita, Samar

Tropical Depression Agaton is now in the vicinity of Santa Rita in Samar province, PAGASA reported in its Tropical Cyclone Advisory posted at 11 p.m.

The center of Tropical Depression Agaton was estimated in the vicinity of Santa Rita, Samar with maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour near the center, gustiness of up to 60 km/h, and central pressure of 1000 hPa and moving in the north northwest direction slowly.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 is hoisted over the following areas: 

Luzon

• the southern portion of Masbate (Dimasalang, Cawayan, Palanas, Placer, Cataingan, Esperanza, Pio V. Corpuz)

Visayas

• Eastern Samar
• Samar
• Northern Samar
• Biliran
• Leyte
• Southern Leyte
• the northeastern portion of Cebu (Daanbantayan, Medellin, City of Bogo, Tabogon, Borbon, Sogod) including Camotes Island

Mindanao

• Dinagat Islands

With the potential impacts of winds at minimal to minor threat to life and property, wind Signals in other areas are hereby lifted.

Hazards affecting land areas

On Monday evening to Tuesday evening, moderate to heavy with at times intense rains over Eastern Visayas, Sorsogon, Masbate, the northern and central portions of Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands, Aklan, Capiz, Iloilo, Antique, Guimaras, and the northern and central portions of Negros Provinces.

Light to moderate with at times heavy rains over MIMAROPA, Dinagat Islands, Zamboanga del Norte, Quezon, and the rest of Visayas and Bicol Region.

Strong winds will be experienced within any of the areas where TCWS No. 1 is currently in effect.

Hazards affecting coastal waters

Rough seas will prevail over the seaboards of areas where Wind Signal No. 1 is hoisted in the next 24 hours. These conditions may be risky for most seacrafts.

In the next 24 hours, moderate to rough seas will also prevail over the remaining seaboards of the country that are not under any wind signal or gale warning.

Track and Intensity outlook

Tropical Depression Agaton is forecast to continue moving in the vicinity of Samar-Leyte-Biliran before turning more east southeastward towards the Philippine Sea by late evening on Tuesday or Wednesday morning.

Due to the combined effects of land interaction, increasing vertical wind shear, and the effects of the upper-level outflow of Severe Tropical Storm Malakas, Agaton is forecast to deteriorate within 36 hours then continue moving eastward over the Philippine Sea as it becomes assimilated within the circulation of Malakas. -- BAP, GMA News