THE weather system called "Auring" has intensified into a tropical storm while moving slowly northwestward over the Philippine Sea, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Thursday, February 18, 2021.

In its 11 a.m. bulletin, Pagasa said Auring may intensify into a severe tropical storm before making landfall over Caraga region on Saturday evening, February 20, or Sunday morning, February 21.

At around 10 a.m. Thursday, Auring was located at around 685 kilometers (km) 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.

As of Thursday, no areas were placed under tropical cyclone wind signal.

However, Pagasa said there is an “increasing likelihood” of heavy rainfall affecting the Visayas, Caraga, Northern Mindanao, Bicol Region, Calabarzon (Cavite Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Mindoro provinces, Marinduque, Romblon, and northern Palawan, including Calamian and Cuyo Islands, over the weekend until Monday, February 22.

“Residents in these areas and all disaster risk reduction and management offices concerned, especially those situated in areas identified in hazard maps to be highly or very highly susceptible to flooding and rain-induced landslides, are advised to take appropriate preparatory measures,” Pagasa said.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau has disseminated a list of 4,654 barangays prone to landslide and flood in Bicol, Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Davao and Caraga to concerned local government units. (SunStar Philippines)