‘Auring’ to bring heavy rains, flashfloods, landslides – PAGASA

Tropical Depression Auring at 10 p.m., Jan. 8, 2017, Sunday. (PHOTO FROM THE PAGASA WEBSITE)

MANILA — While it does not pack powerful winds, Tropical Depression Auring is bringing heavy rains that will likely cause flashfloods and landslides across the Visayas and Mindanao for the next two days, according to the state weather bureau.

The country’s first cyclone this year made landfall in Siargao, Surigao del Norte, on Sunday evening and from there traverse the northern part of Mindanao and the southern part of the Visayas towards Palawan.

Based on its current track, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) projected that Auring would traverse the Caraga and Northern Mindanao regions, Leyte island and the Central Visayas region on Monday, January 9.

The cyclone may reach Palawan on Tuesday, January 10 and continue westwards to the West Philippine Sea where it will exit from the country by Thursday, January 12.

“Auring” weakened slightly on Sunday night after it made landfall over Siargao Island.

PAGASA said that as of 7 p.m., the location of the eye of Auring was estimated at 35 km west northwest of Surigao City, Surigao del Norte.

Auring packed maximum winds of up to 45 kph near the center and gusts of up to 75 kph

PAGASA expects Auring to remain a tropical depression while over land and intensify to a tropical storm once it exits the Mindanao landmass into the Moro Gulf on its way to Palawan.

“While the wind is not destructive, what we have to watch out is the rains,” warned PAGASA administrator Vicente Malano on Sunday, when PAGASA reported that Eastern and Central Visayas and most of Mindanao already experienced heavy rains.

Malano said the rains brought by Auring might cause flashfloods in river basins in Mindanao such as the Agusan, Davao, Tagum-Libuganon and Mindanao river basins and warned of flashfloods affecting Cotabato and Bukidnon.

“There are areas in the Visayas and Mindanao that are prone to landslides especially in Caraga due to mining. According to the MGB (Mines and Geosciences Bureau), landslides occur there even if it’s not raining because of mining operations. The rains may trigger landslides due to the many excavations,” he went on.

Malano also warned Samar and Leyte would be prone to landslides since they have lately been experiencing rains. “We expect the monsoon rains to be enhanced by the tropical depression,” he said.

PAGASA warned of possible flashfloods and landslides over 20 areas it placed under public storm warning signal number 1.

These are Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Siargao Island, Dinagat province, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Camiguin, northern Zamboanga del Norte, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur; Bohol, Siquijor, Negros Provinces, Southern Leyte, Cebu, Guimaras, the southern part of Iloilo and the southern part of Antique.

PAGASA forecaster Christopher Perez said Metro Manila would not be directly affected by the cyclone but might have passing light rains on Monday due to the prevailing northeast monsoon.  SFM