PAGASA: Areas in Auring’s path must be on alert

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MANILA, Philippines – More areas were placed under signal number 1 late Sunday morning, January 8, as Tropical Depression Auring continued to move closer to the Surigao provinces.

In a bulletin issued 11 am on Sunday, state weather bureau PAGASA said Auring is already 75 kilometers east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur. It is moving west northwest at a very slow 7 kilometers per hour (km/h).

It still has maximum winds of up to 55 km/h and gustiness of up to 70 km/h.

Signal number 1 is raised in the following areas:

• Bohol
• Siquijor
• Negros Oriental
• Negros Occidental
• Southern Leyte
• Cebu
• Guimaras
• southern part of Iloilo
• southern part of Antique
• Agusan del Sur
• Agusan del Norte
• Surigao del Sur
• Surigao del Norte including Siargao Island
• Dinagat
• Misamis Oriental
• Misamis Occidental
• Bukidnon
• Camiguin
• Davao del Norte
• northern Davao Oriental
• northern Zamboanga del Norte
• Lanao del Norte
• northern Lanao del Sur
• Compostela Valley

Auring is expected to make landfall in the Surigao area between Sunday evening, January 8, and early Monday morning, January 9.

Moderate to heavy rain is being experienced within the tropical depression’s 300-km diameter. Areas in its path, which include the Caraga region, the Leyte provinces, Northern Mindanao, Central Visayas, the Negros provinces, and Palawan, should be on alert for possible floods and landslides.

“Marami pong areas diyan sa Visayas and Mindanao na prone to landslides, lalong-lalo na sa Caraga dahil may mining,” said PAGASA Acting Administrator Vicente Malano in a news briefing late Sunday morning.

(Many areas in the Visayas and Mindanao are prone to landslides, especially the Caraga region because of mining activities there.)

PAGASA also warned that sea travel is risky in the eastern seaboard of the Visayas and of Mindanao.

Since Auring is moving very slowly, it’ll linger inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and will only leave by Thursday, January 12.

– Rappler.com