The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), on Tuesday, April 12, is monitoring two weather disturbances named tropical depression Agaton (international name: Megi) and typhoon Basyang (international name: Malakas) inside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR).
The state weather bureau, in its latest bulletin, said that tropical depression Agaton was last spotted in the vicinity of Balangiga, eastern Samar. It has maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour (kph), gustiness of up to 75 kph, and it is moving eastward slowly.
Due to “Agaton,” tropical cyclone wind signal (TCWS) no. 1 is still raised over the southern portion of Masbate, eastern Samar, Samar, northern Samar, Biliran, Leyte, southern Leyte, the northeastern portion of Cebu including Camotes Island, and Dinagat Islands.
“Today, moderate to heavy with at times heavy rains over eastern Visayas, Bicol region, the northern and central portions of Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands, Aklan, Capiz, Iloilo, Antique, Guimaras, and the northern and central portions of Negros Provinces,” PAGASA warned.
Although it is forecast to “continue meandering” in the vicinity of Samar-Leyte area in the next 6 to 12 hours, PAGASA said that the tropical depression is expected to “deteriorate into a remnant low” within the next 24 hours.
'Malakas' enters PAR, now called 'Basyang'
Typhoon Basyang is the second weather disturbance that the state weather bureau is monitoring.
In its initial report, PAGASA said that it entered PAR around 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 12. Meanwhile, based on the available data, the eye of “Basyang” was last spotted 1,435 kilometers (km) east of southern Luzon.
It has maximum sustained winds of 120 kph, gustiness of up to 150 kph, and it is moving north northwestward at 20 kph.
“Basyang is unlikely to directly affect the weather condition in the country within the forecast period,” said PAGASA. It may also exit the region in less than 24 hours, the state weather bureau added.