Agaton intensifies into tropical storm, to exit PAR Wednesday afternoon

Tropical Depression Agaton has intensified into a tropical storm as it continued to move away from  Philippine territory, state weather bureau PAGASA said on Wednesday.

In its 11 a.m. severe weather bulletin, Agaton's center was estimated at 390 kilometers west of Puerto Princesa City in Palawan.

The tropical storm has maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 80 kph.

Agaton was forecast to move west at 25 kph and expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Wednesday afternoon.

No tropical cyclone warning signal has been raised despite Agaton intensifying into a storm, but the Bicol region and the provinces of Rizal, Aurora and Quezon are expected to experience moderate to heavy rains due to the tail-end of a cold front.

PAGASA advised residents in the said areas to "undertake precautionary measures against possible flooding and landslides and coordinate with their respective local disaster risk reduction and management offices."

Sea travel remains risky over the seaboards of Northern Luzon and Southern Luzon, eastern seaboard of Central Luzon, eastern and western seaboards of Visayas, and eastern seaboard of Mindanao due to the surge of Northeast Monsoon.

PAGASA will issue the next severe weather bulletin at 5 p.m. — MDM, GMA News