THE low pressure area (LPA) east of Catanduanes in Luzon has developed into a tropical depression and was named “Amang.”
As of 4 a.m. Tuesday, April 11, 2023, the center of Tropical Depression Amang was located 475 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes, with maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour (km/h), gusts of up to 55 km/h, and central pressure of 1004 hPa.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical andAstronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its 5 a.m. Tuesday (April 11) bulletin that Amang was moving west northwestward at 20 km/h.
Pagasa said strong winds carried by Amang may extend outwards up to 300 kilometers from the center.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) Number 1 was raised over Catanduanes in Luzon and the northern portion of Eastern Samar (Taft, Can-Avid, Sulat, Dolores, Oras, Arteche, San Policarpo, Jipapad, Maslog, San Julian) and the eastern portion of Northern Samar (Catubig, Lapinig, Gamay, Mapanas, Palapag, Laoang, San Roque, Pambujan, Mondragon) in the Visayas.
Pagasa said heavy rains (50-100 mm) will be experienced in Northern Samar and the northern portions of Samar and Eastern Samar Tuesday morning until tonight, April 11.
There will also be intense rains (100-200 mm) in Camarines Norte and the western portion of Camarines Sur from Tuesday morning until Thursday evening, April 13.
The southern portion of Quezon, the rest of Bicol Region, Northern Samar and the northern portions of Samar and Eastern Samar will experience heavy rains (50-100 mm).
“Under these conditions, 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,” said Pagasa in its 5 a.m. bulletin Tuesday.
It also said that for the next 24 hours, Amang was forecast to track generally westward toward Bicol Region before turning northwestward for the remainder of the forecast period.
“While the current track forecast shows that the tropical depression will remain offshore over the waters east of Luzon for the next three days, the forecast confidence cone shows that a landfall scenario over the Bicol Peninsula area or the northern portion of Samar Island is not ruled out, especially for the next 36 hours,” said Pagasa.
“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,” it added. (LMY)