PAGASA: Signal No. 1 in 8 areas as Agaton almost stationary in Eastern Samar

PAGASA placed 8 areas under Signal No. 1 late Tuesday afternoon as Tropical Depression Agaton remained almost stationary over Llorente, Eastern Samar. 

In its 5 p.m. bulletin, Agaton was already in the vicinity of Llorente with maximum sustained winds of 45 kph near the center, gustiness of up to 75 kph, and central pressure of 1002 hPa.

Its tropical cyclone winds extend outwards up to 150 kilometers from the center.

Signal No.1 (Strong winds prevailing or expected within the next 36 hours) has been raised over the following areas:

Visayas

• Eastern Samar
• Samar
• Northern Samar
• Biliran
• Leyte
• Southern Leyte
• Camotes Island

Mindanao

• Dinagat Islands

Strong winds (strong breeze to near gale conditions) will be experienced within any of the areas where Wind Signal No. 1 is currently in effect.

In the next 24 hours, rough seas (2.8 to 4.0 m) will prevail over the seaboards of areas where Wind Signal No. 1 is hoisted.

Moreover, moderate to rough seas (1.2 to 3.7 m) will also prevail over the remaining seaboards of the country that are not under any wind signal or gale warning, especially over the northern and eastern seaboards of Luzon and the eastern seaboards of Visayas and Mindanao.

Agaton is forecast to continue moving slowly eastward within the next 6 to 12 hours before turning more east southeastward towards the Philippine Sea beginning tonight or tomorrow morning.

Considering the continuing erratic nature of its movement, the track forecast of Agaton may likely change in the succeeding bulletins, PAGASA said.

Due to the combined effects of land interaction, increasing vertical wind shear, and the effects of the upper-level outflow of Typhoon Basyang, this tropical depression is forecast to deteriorate into a remnant low within the next 24 hours.

The remnant of Agaton will then continue tracking generally eastward over the Philippine Sea as it becomes assimilated within the circulation of Basyang.

The next tropical cyclone bulletin will be issued at 8:00 PM today. —NB, GMA News