ALTHOUGH tropical storm Auring’s intensity has weakened, state weather officials urged the public to remain on heightened alert as it could bring moderate to heavy rains once it traverses the Visayas on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021.

Auring is still expected to bring 50 to 100 millimeters of rainfall in Cebu and other parts of the Visayas over the weekend, Al Quiblat, Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa)-Mactan weather bureau chief, said.

According to Pagasa’s 3 p.m. weather bulletin on Saturday, Feb. 20, Auring’s center was estimated to be 490 kilometers east southeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph. It is moving northwest at 15 kph.

Quiblat said one of the possible scenarios is that the storm will make landfall Sunday afternoon or night in Eastern Mindanao, particularly in the Caraga Region.

“Our main track, based on the latest official forecast of the Pag-asa at 11 a.m., once the storm passes through Caraga, it will make another landfall in Southern Leyte, and the eye of the storm will be in the northern portion of Cebu on Sunday evening to Monday morning,” he said.

Quiblat said there is also the possibility that Auring will lose its strength and be downgraded to a tropical depression before it makes landfall.

“Once it reaches Cebu, it is possible that it will turn into a low pressure area. Another scenario we are looking at is that Auring may still deviate from its main track and will go to Samar area,” he said.

Quiblat said that Auring may also affect the southern part of Cebu.

Moderate to heavy rainfall

Disaster-prone areas