Tropical storm Agaton (international name: Megi) has slightly weakened and is about to make another landfall over Leyte province, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its 11 p.m. bulletin issued on Sunday, April 10.
The storm has made its first landfall over Calicoan Island, Guiuan, Eastern Samar at around 7:30 a.m., Sunday.
As of 10 p.m, PAGASA said Agaton has maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph, and was already over the coastal waters of Mayorga, Leyte.
It is projected to move westward slowly.
Signal No. 2 remains hoisted over the southern portion of Eastern Samar, southern portion of Samar, Biliran, northern and central portions of Leyte, and northern portion of Dinagat Islands.
Meanwhile, Signal No. 1 was still raised over the southern portion of Masbate, the rest of Eastern Samar, the rest of Samar, Northern Samar, the rest of Leyte, Southern Leyte, the northeastern portion of Cebu including Camotes Island, eastern portion of Bohol, Surigao del Norte, and the rest of Dinagat Island.
Agaton’s slow movement causing prolonged rains
In the next 24 hours, moderate to heavy with occasional intense rains will over Eastern Visayas, Masbate, Sorsogon, Catanduanes, and the northern and central portions of Cebu, including Bantayan and Camotes Islands.
Light to moderate with occasional heavy rains will also persist in Dinagat Islands, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and the rest of Bicol Region and Visayas.
From Monday evening, April 11, to Tuesday evening, April 12, moderate to heavy with occasional intense rains will continue to affect Sorsogon, Masbate, Eastern Visayas, while light to moderate with occasional heavy rains will affect Dinagat Island, Romblon, and the rest of Visayas.
“Under these conditions and considering significant antecedent rainfall, scattered to widespread flooding and rain-induced landslides are expected especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards as identified in hazard maps,” PAGASA warned.
Agaton to remain almost stationary
“Today through early Tuesday, Agaton is forecast to meander over the vicinity of the northern portion of Leyte, the southern portion of Samar, Biliran, and the coastal waters of these areas due to weak steering environment,” PAGASA said.
“By Tuesday afternoon or evening, gradually accelerating turn east southeastward or eastward is expected as Agaton undergoes a binary interaction with the incoming tropical cyclone with international name ‘Malakas,” it added.
Malakas will be given a local name “Basyang” once inside the Philippine area of responsibility.
PAGASA said Agaton will likely weaken into a tropical depression after land interaction, and further degenerate into a remnant low by late Wednesday, April 13, or early Thursday, April 14 as Malakas begins to absorb the circulation.
However, the possibility of an earlier weakening into a low pressure area while Agaton is over the Leyte-Samar landmass is not ruled out.