‘Agaton’ may linger over Mindanao until Wednesday

In this picture taken on January 14, 2014, residents camp next to a bridge destroyed by flooding brought about by heavy rains in Davao Oriental province, on the southern island of Mindanao. AFP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—With tropical depression “Agaton” continuing to move sluggishly across Mindanao, the weather bureau said that the cyclone could linger over the southern part of the country until Wednesday and hoisted on Sunday the public storm warning signal (PSWS) No. 1 over six provinces in the Caraga and Davao regions.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) raised the storm warning over Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao Del Norte, Davao del Sur, and Compostela Valley.

Areas where PSWS #1 has been raised are to expect 30 kilometers per hour to 60 kph winds until Tuesday morning. The estimated amount of rainfall within the 300-kilometer diameter of “Agaton” is moderate to heavy at 5 mm to 15 mm per hour.

Pagasa, likewise, alerted residents in northern Mindanao and the rest of the Caraga region to possible flashfloods and landslides triggered by moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms.

Sea travel over the seaboards of Luzon, the Visayas and the Caraga region is also risky because of strong to gale-force winds associated with the surge of the amihan (northeast monsoon) and the tropical depression.

As of 4 a.m., Monday, the center of Tropical Depression Agaton was estimated to be at 230 km southeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, or at 230 km east of Davao City, with maximum sustained winds of 55 kph and moving west outhwest at 5 kph.

Weather forecaster Gener Quitlong told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that if “Agaton” would maintain its speed of 5 kph to 7 kph, it could linger over Mindanao until Wednesday. “If it makes landfall over Davao Oriental by Monday or Tuesday, it could weaken into a low pressure area and dissipate. But we are still not discounting the possibility that it could still change direction and intensify,” Quitlong said.

He explained that the tropical depression is unable to move out of the country and is constantly changing direction because it is trapped between two high pressure areas caused by the northeast monsoon.

By Monday afternoon,  if it maintains its speed, the weather bureau expects “Agaton” to be at 155 kilometers southeast of Davao City, 60 kilometers southeast of General Santos City by Tuesday and 205 kilometers southwest of General Santos City or outside the Philippine area of responsibility by Wednesday afternoon.

In its forecast for Monday, Pagasa expects weather in the rest of Mindanao to be cloudy with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms while the Visayas, the regions of Cagayan Valley and Bicol as well as the provinces of Aurora and Quezon will be cloudy with light rains.

Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated light rains.

Related Stories:

‘Agaton’ lingers; Signal No.1 still up in 6 areas