Only Palawan left under signal no. 1 due to Agaton

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MANILA, Philippines – Only Palawan, including Cuyo Island, remained under signal number 1 as Tropical Depression Agaton continued moving toward the province early Tuesday afternoon, January 2.

In a bulletin issued 2 pm on Tuesday, state weather bureau PAGASA said Agaton is already 265 kilometers west of Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental or 245 kilometers east southeast of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, still moving west at 28 kilometers per hour (km/h).

The tropical depression has maximum winds of 55 km/h and gustiness of up to 65 km/h. (READ: EXPLAINER: How tropical cyclones form)

Agaton is expected to make its 6th landfall in Palawan on Tuesday evening. It had made landfall in the following areas earlier in the day:

• Socorro, Surigao del Norte – 1 am
• Claver, Surigao del Norte – 1:15 am
• Jagna, Bohol – 4 am
• Santander, Cebu – 5 am
• Bais City, Negros Oriental – 7:30 am

Though Palawan is the only area left under signal number 1, PAGASA warned residents of Bicol, Eastern Visayas, southern Quezon, Panay Island, and the rest of Mimaropa to stay on alert for possible flash floods and landslides. (IN PHOTOS: Flood greets Biliran residents on first day of 2018)

Sea travel is risky in Palawan, the seaboards of Northern Luzon and Southern Luzon, eastern seaboard of Central Luzon, eastern and western seaboards of the Visayas, and eastern seaboard of Mindanao due to the surge of the northeast monsoon and Agaton.

More than 3,000 passengers have been stranded at various ports, most of them in Northern Mindanao and Central Visayas, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

Based on its latest forecast track, Agaton will leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Wednesday morning, January 3. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

Mindanao is still reeling from Typhoon Vinta (Tembin), which hit land just a few days before Christmas 2017 as a severe tropical storm. It left at least 240 people dead.

Vinta also came on the heels of Tropical Storm Urduja (Kai-tak), which battered  Eastern Visayas and killed 47 people. Urduja also left P2.172 billion in damage to agriculture and infrastructure. – Rappler.com