18 areas under Signal No. 1 as Aghon slightly intensifies

Eighteen areas were placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 on Friday afternoon as Tropical Depression (TD) Aghon slightly intensified while moving westward, state weather bureau PAGASA said. 

In its 2 p.m. bulletin, PAGASA said the center of Aghon was last spotted 135 kilometers east northeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur. 

The first cyclone to hit the country in 2024, Aghon was packing maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (km/h) near the center, gustiness of up to 70 km/h, and central pressure of 1006 hPa. 

TCWS No. 1 was hoisted over the following areas:

Luzon

• Sorsogon
• Albay
• Catanduanes
• Camarines Sur
• Camarines Norte (San Vicente, San Lorenzo Ruiz, Basud, Daet, Talisay, Mercedes)
• Masbate including Ticao Island, Burias Island

Visayas

• Eastern Samar
• Samar
• Northern Samar
• Leyte
• Southern Leyte
• Biliran
• Camotes Islands

Mindanao

• 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)
• Agusan del Norte

PAGASA said winds of 39 to 61 km/h may be experienced over the affected areas, with potential impacts of minimal to minor threat to life and property.

Forecast track

PAGASA said Aghon is seen to intensify into a severe tropical storm by Sunday morning and into a typhoon by Monday. It is also expected to continue moving generally west northwestward to northwestward from Friday until Saturday while slowly intensifying. 

Aghon may also make a close approach or landfall in the vicinity of Eastern Visayas on Saturday morning as a tropical storm before passing north northwestward over Eastern Visayas, then emerging over the waters off the east coast of Bicol Region on Saturday evening as a tropical storm. 

Inclement weather due to Aghon has already resulted in flight cancelations on Friday.

Heavy rains

Meanwhile, PAGASA said an accumulated rainfall of 100 to 200 millimeters are expected in Albay, Sorsogon, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, Surigao del Norte, and Dinagat Islands from Friday to Saturday. 

At least 50 to 100 mm of rain, meanwhile, are seen over Surigao del Sur, the rest of Eastern Visayas, Masbate including Ticao and and Burias Islands, Catanduanes, the eastern portion of Camarines Sur, Western Visayas, and Zamboanga del Norte. 

“Under these conditions, flooding and rain-induced landslides are possible especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards as identified in hazard maps and in localities that experienced considerable amounts of rainfall for the past several days,” PAGASA said. 

PAGASA also said moderate to rough seas (1.5 to 3.5 m) may prevail over northern and eastern seaboards of Eastern Visayas and the eastern seaboard of Caraga Region. 

“Mariners of motor bancas and similarly-sized vessels are advised to take precautionary measures while venturing out to sea and, if possible, avoid navigating in these conditions, especially if inexperienced or operating ill-equipped vessels,” it said. —KBK, GMA Integrated News