TROPICAL Depression Aghon has continued to move west northwestward over the sea east of Mindanao and was forecast to make landfall over the southern portion of Eastern Samar or Dinagat Islands by Saturday morning as a tropical storm.
This was revealed by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), which said that as of 4 p.m. Friday, May 24, 2024, the center of Aghon was located 135 kilometers northeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, or 185 kilometers east southeast of Surigao City, Surigao del Norte.
Aghon was packing maximum winds of 55 kilometers per hour (km/h) near its center, gusts of up to 70 km/h, and central pressure of 1004 hPa while it was moving west northwestward at 30 km/h.
Pagasa hoisted Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) Number 1 over several provinces in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
In Luzon, areas under TCWS 1 are Sorsogon, Albay, Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Masbate including Ticao Island, Burias Island and Quezon (Calauag, Guinayangan, Lopez, Buenavista, Catanauan, Mulanay, San Narciso, San Francisco, San Andres, Tagkawayan).
In the Visayas, Eastern Samar, Samar, Northern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Biliran, Cebu (San Remigio, Tabogon, City of Bogo, Medellin, Daanbantayan, Borbon) including Camotes Islands, Bantayan Islands and Bohol (Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, Bien Unido, Trinidad, Anda, Candijay, Ubay, Mabini, Alicia, San Miguel, Talibon) were placed under TCWS 1.
Areas in Mindanao under the same category are Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte including Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Sur (Sibagat, City of Bayugan, Prosperidad, San Francisco, Rosario, Bunawan, Trento), and Agusan del Norte.
Pagasa said that the tropical depression will bring 100 millimeters (mm) to 200 mm of rain in Albay, Sorsogon, Eastern Visayas, Surigao del Norte, and Dinagat Islands, and 50-100 mm in the southern portion of Quezon, Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands, Catanduanes, the eastern portion of Camarines Sur, Western Visayas, Surigao del Sur,and Zamboanga del Norte from Friday until Saturday afternoon.
It also said that based on the forecast track, Aghon will pass north northwestward through the coast of Northern Samar, then may possibly make another landfall over the southeastern portion of Bicol Region (Sorsogon, Albay, or Catanduanes) by Saturday evening as a tropical storm.
On Sunday, May 26, the tropical cyclone will start to recurve generally northward or north northeastward over the waters east of Luzon while starting to continuously intensify.
“Current forecast scenario shows intensification into a severe tropical storm by Sunday and into a typhoon by Monday,” said the weather bureau. (LMY)