MANILA, Philippines—The country’s first tropical storm of the new year Sunday changed course after threatening Eastern Visayas, grounding vessels in at least 10 provinces and stranding about 12,000 travelers.

Code-named “Auring,” the storm is expected to be barely felt in Metro Manila, which will only experience partly cloudy skies with occasional rainshowers, weather forecasters said.

They said the storm had also enhanced the northeast monsoon (locally known as the amihan), contributing to the cold weather the past few days.

The entry of Auring into the Philippine area coincided with the return to Metro Manila of tens of thousands of vacationers from the provinces, but those among them hoping for a longer holiday as a result of the weather disturbance may be in for a disappointment.

“It's a weak storm,” said Dr. Prisco Nilo, director of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

Auring has maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour near the center. Earlier Sunday, it was threatening Eastern Visayas and parts of northeast Mindanao, according to PAGASA.

Storm signal over E. Samar

But as of 4 p.m., Nilo told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone that the storm had changed its path and was moving away from Eastern Visayas and over the Pacific Ocean at 7 kph.

“It will no longer cross the Visayas,” Nilo said. He added, however, that PAGASA was continuing to monitor Auring’s movements.

Only Eastern Samar was placed under Storm Signal No. 1. PAGASA did not raise any storm signals elsewhere in the country.

Nilo said northeast Mindanao and Bicol would have light rains.

Nineteen “or less” storms and typhoons could hit the Philippines this year, he said.

Last year, 21 weather disturbances affected the Philippines. The strongest, Typhoon “Frank” (international code name: Fengshen), flipped over the MV Princess of the Stars and left more than 800 people dead.

Tracking Auring

In PAGASA’s bulletin Sunday afternoon, Auring was detected at 80 km southeast of Guiuan in Eastern Samar.

PAGASA is forecasting Auring to be 150 km northeast of Guiuan, or 200 km east-southeast of Catarman, Northern Samar, today, and 300 km northeast of Catarman by Tuesday afternoon.

By Wednesday afternoon, the storm is expected to be 420 km east-northeast of Virac, Catanduanes.

About 6,700 passengers, including children, who were bound for Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon were stranded at the two ferry terminals in Allen town, Northern Samar, civil defense operations officer Angelo Polistico said in Tacloban City.

The number of stranded passengers could increase as the figure released by the Coast Guard was based only on its morning report, Polistico said.

The Coast Guard prohibited those passengers, who were on board 94 buses, 69 trucks and 89 light vehicles, from crossing the Matnog Strait on their way to Luzon, he said.

The Allen municipal government provided meals to the stranded travellers but it could do so only for a day, according to Polistico.

“If their stay would go beyond 24 hours, it could ask for some assistance from our [national] government,” he said.

Northern Samar

The Coast Guard on Saturday night also canceled ferry trips from Leyte and Southern Leyte to Cebu, Bohol and Surigao.

Northern Samar Gov. Raul Daza said floods were reported in some areas in his province but the water receded quickly.

Incessant rains killed five people and destroyed property and agricultural products worth over P95 million in Northern Samar last month.

Around 500 passengers were stranded in Cebu ports after the Coast Guard suspended travel to Camotes Island and Eastern Visayas by at least 15 ships and motorboats. These included the MV Gloria 2, MV Rosalia 3, MV Our Lady of Guadalupe, MV Tagbilaran Ferry, MV Fiji 2, MV Golden Express 2, MV Wonderful Star and MV Melrivic 3.

Stranded Bicolanos

The trips of SuperCat and Weesam Express fastcraft were also suspended.

In Legazpi City, the Office of Civil Defense-Bicol said more than 4,000 passengers were stranded in four Bicol ports as of Sunday afternoon. They included some 3,400 travellers in Matnog.

The stranded vehicles in Bicol included five ships and motor bancas, 19 trucks, 39 small cars and 50 passenger buses.

In Manila, the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) said rescue teams had evacuated or provided food through “community kitchens” to nearly 5,000 families in Eastern Visayas and Western Mindanao.

The PNRC operation center said continuous rains had triggered floods in Negros Oriental, Bohol and Samar in the Visayas; Zamboanga del Norte and Iligan, Cagayan de Oro and Gingoog cities in Western Mindanao. With reports from Joey A. Gabieta and Jhunnex Napallacan, Inquirer Visayas; and Inquirer Southern Luzon