TD Agaton accelerates westwards; Signal 1 up over 14 areas

Tropical Depression Agaton accelerated slightly yet again, even as it crossed the Bohol Sea on Tuesday morning, weather service PAGASA reported in a 5 a.m. bulletin.

At 4 a.m., Agaton was 95 kilometers east of Tagbilaran City, Bohol, with 55 kilometer per hour sustained winds, which can gust up to 90 kph.

Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal 1 was raised over:

• Palawan,
• Southern Leyte,
• Bohol,
• Cebu,
• Siquijor,
• Guimaras,
• Negros Oriental,
• Negros Occidental, 
• Surigao del Norte including Siargao Island,
• Agusan del Norte,
• Dinagat Island,
• northern Misamis Oriental,
• Camiguin, and
• Zamboanga del Norte.

Sea travel around these areas remained risky, given the 1.25 to four meter wave heights.

Agaton would also bring scattered to widespread moderate to heavy rain, which may cause flooding and landslides, over the:

• Visayas,
• Caraga Region,
• Northern Mindanao Region,
• Zamboanga Peninsula Region,
• Lanao del Sur,
• Davao del Norte,
• Compostela Valley,
• Davao Oriental, and
• Palawan.

With Agaton now moving westwards at 25 kph, the tropical depression was projected to be:

• 50 kms east-southeast of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan by Wednesday morning, and
• 50 kms south-southwest of Pagasa Island, Palawan, and outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, by Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, the rest of the country would be under the influence of the northeast monsoon, with cloudy conditions and scattered rain expected over the Cagayan Valley and Cordillera Administrative Regions, Aurora, and Quezon; and partly cloudy to cloudy conditions and isolated rain expected over the rest of the country. — DVM, GMA News