MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Storm Auring is now bringing light to moderate with at times heavy rains on Saturday over Caraga and Eastern Visayas. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its 5:00 PM weather update that heavy rains will be felt until Saturday evening.
Moderate to heavy rains, on the other hand, will be felt over Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, and Eastern Visayas. Light to moderate with at times heavy rains over Northern Mindanao, Bicol Region, Mimaropa, Quezon, and the rest of Visayas and Caraga on Sunday (February 21).
Light to moderate with at times heavy rains will be expected over Bicol Region, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, and the southern portion of Quezon due to the combined effects of the weather disturbance and the Shear Line until Monday.
PAGASA said that under these conditions, scattered to widespread flooding (including flash floods) and rain-induced landslides are likely during heavy or prolonged rainfall especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards as identified in hazard maps.
Adjacent or nearby areas may also experience flooding in the absence of such rainfall occurrence due to surface runoff or swelling of river channels. PAGASA Regional Services Divisions may issue local thunderstorm/rainfall advisories and heavy rainfall warnings while the Hydrometeorology Division and River Basin Flood Forecasting and Warning Centers may issue General Flood Advisories and Basin Flood Bulletins as appropriate, the state weather bureau said.
PAGASA added that in the next 24 hours, “the combined effects of the surge of the Northeast Monsoon and Tropical Storm Auring will bring strong to gale-force winds over the areas where Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) #1 is in effect, as well as over the rest of Visayas, Bicol Region, Calabarzon, and Mindoro Provinces, Marinduque, Romblon, and the northern portion of Palawan (including Calamian, Cuyo, and Kalayaan Islands). A strong breeze to near-gale conditions is also likely over the rest of Luzon.
The weather station also said that “rough to high seas (2.8 to 6.0 m) will be experienced over the seaboards of areas under TCWS in the next 24 hours.”
Rough to very rough seas (2.8 to 5.0 m) will prevail over the eastern and southern seaboards of Southern Luzon and the remaining seaboards of Visayas. Rough seas (2.5 to 4.0 m) will prevail over the northern and western seaboards of Mindanao and the remaining seaboards of Luzon. Sea travel is risky for all types of sea vessels over these waters, the advisory said.
Pagasa also warned that moderate to rough seas (1.2 to 3.0 m) will be experienced over the remaining seaboards of the country. Mariners of small sea crafts are advised to take precautionary measures when venturing out to sea. Inexperienced mariners should avoid navigating in these conditions.
TS Auring is forecast to continue moving generally northwestward throughout the forecast period. Its center is forecast to make landfall over the Dinagat-Homonhon-Leyte area on Sunday evening or Monday early morning then cross Visayas and Mimaropa, PAGASA added.
TS Auring is more likely to weaken to tropical depression before it makes landfall over Caraga. It will likely further weaken to Low Pressure Area by Monday due to significant terrain interaction and persistent vertical wind shear during this passage over the archipelago, the weather bureau said.
