9 areas still under Signal No. 1 due to Agaton as Basyang enters PAR

Nine areas remained under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 due to Tropical Depression Agaton late Tuesday morning, even as a new cyclone has entered the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR).

Typhoon Malakas entered PAR at 10 a.m. and is now named Basyang, state weather bureau PAGASA said Tuesday.

In its 11 a.m. bulletin, PAGASA said the following areas are under Signal No. 1 due to Agaton:

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

Basyang

In its 11 a.m. weather bulletin on Basyang, PAGASA said Basyang is unlikely to directly affect the weather condition in the country within the forecast period.

Basyang is also unlikely to directly affect the sea conditions over the coastal waters of the country, PAGASA added.

As of 10 a.m., the center of Basyang was estimated at 1,435 km East of Southern Luzon (15.4°N, 135.0°E) and packing maximum sustained winds of 120 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 150 km/h, and central pressure of 975 hPa.

PAGASA said Basyang is moving north-northwestward at 20 km/h. It also has strong winds or higher that extend outwards up to 600 km from the center.

Out of PAR by Tuesday night

PAGASA said Basyang intensified into a typhoon at 8 a.m. on Tuesday and is expected to continue to intensify and may reach a peak intensity of 150 km/h on Wednesday morning.

Basyang is expected to move northward in the next six hours before turning generally north northeastward for the remainder of the forecast period. The duration of the storm within the PAR region will be brief and may exit the region on Tuesday night.

Agaton

Meanwhile, as of 10 a.m., Agaton's center was estimated at 11.2°N, 125.4°E in the vicinity of Balangiga, Eastern Samar, packing maximum sustained winds of 45 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 75 km/h, and central pressure of 1004 hPa.

PAGASA said Agaton is moving slowly eastward and has strong winds or higher that extend outwards up to 150 km from the center.

Moderate to heavy with at times intense rains will be experienced over Eastern Visayas, Bicol Region, 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.

The seas will be rough (2.8 to 4.0 m) in the next 24 hours over the seaboards of areas under TCWS No. 1 due to Agaton, PAGASA said as it warned that 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 3.7 m), which may be risky for small seacraft, PAGASA said.

Agaton is expected to continue meandering in the vicinity of Samar-Leyte area within the next 6 to 12 hours before turning more east southeastward towards the Philippine Sea beginning Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, according to PAGASA.

It is also expected to deteriorate into a remnant low within the next 24 hours due to the combined effects of land interaction, increasing vertical wind shear, and the effects of the upper-level outflow of Typhoon Basyang. —KBK, GMA News