LPA develops into Tropical Depression, Signal No. 1 over Catanduanes, parts of Samar

As of 2 a.m. the Low Pressure Area (LPA) east of Catanduanes has developed into a Tropical Depression and given the name Amang that will bring rain, gusty winds over Northern and Eastern Samar on Tuesday, PAGASA reported.

As of 3 a.m. on Tuesday, the center of Tropical Depression Amang was at 475 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes with maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 55 km/h and  moving West Northwestward at 20 km/h, PAGASA reported.

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

Luzon

• Catanduanes

Visayas

• northern portion of Eastern Samar (Taft, Can-Avid, Sulat, Dolores, Oras, Arteche, San Policarpo, Jipapad, Maslog, San Julian)
• eastern portion of Northern Samar (Catubig, Lapinig, Gamay, Mapanas, Palapag, Laoang, San Roque, Pambujan, Mondragon)

Northern Samar and Eastern Samar will have rains with gusty winds due to the Tropical Depression with possible flooding or landslides due to moderate to heavy with at times intense rains.

The agency also reported that there will be minimal to minor threat to lives and properties due to strong winds.

Central Visayas, Caraga, Bicol Region, and the rest of Eastern Visayas will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms also due to Amang with possible flash floods or landslides due to moderate with at times heavy rains.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country with partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to Amang and localized thunderstorms with possible flash floods or landslides during severe thunderstorms.

Heavy Rainfall Outlook

Heavy rains, 50-100 mm, may be expected over Northern Samar and the northern portions of Samar and Eastern Samar while intense rains (100-200 mm) from Tuesday to Thursday may be expected over Camarines Norte and the western portion of Camarines Sur.

Heavy rains may also be expected over the southern portion of Quezon, the rest of Bicol Region, Northern Samar and the northern portions of Samar and Eastern Samar.

"Under these conditions," PAGASA said, "flooding and rain-induced landslides are possible, especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazard as identified in hazard maps and in localities that experienced considerable amounts of rainfall for the past several days."

Severe Winds

Areas under Signal No. 1 may experience strong winds that may pose minimal to minor threat to life and property.

Hazards affecting coastal waters

A marine gale warning is in effect over the eastern seaboards of

Catanduanes and Eastern Samar, and the northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Samar.

"In the next 24 hours, moderate to rough seas (1.2 to 2.8) over the eastern seaboards of Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, and Eastern Visayas that are not under any gale warning," the weather bureau reported.

Small seacrafts are advised by the bureau to take precautionary measures and, if possible, avoid navigating in these conditions.

Track and Intensity Outlook

For the next 24 hours, Amang is forecast to move westward towards Bicol Region before turning northwestward and remain offshore over the waters east of Luzon for the next 3 days.

Throughout the forecast period, Amang is forecast to remain as a tropical depression, with the possibility of weakening into a low pressure area by late Thursday or early Friday

Sunrise will be at 5:45 a.m., sunset at 6:09 p.m. -- BAP, GMA Integrated News