MANILA, Philippines – Tropical Depression Agaton (Megi) maintained its strength while almost stationary over the Samar-Leyte area before dawn on Tuesday, April 12.

In its 5 am bulletin on Tuesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Agaton was located over the coastal waters of Tacloban City, Leyte, hardly moving.

The tropical depression still has maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 70 km/h.

Rain from Agaton continues on Tuesday, with more floods and landslides possible, PAGASA warned. In Baybay, Leyte, at least 14 people died due to floods.

Moderate to heavy rain, with at times intense rain

• Eastern Visayas
• northern and central parts of Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands
• Aklan
• Capiz
• Iloilo
• Antique
• Guimaras
• northern and central parts of Negros Occidental
• northern and central parts of Negros Oriental
• Bicol

Light to moderate rain, with at times heavy rain

• rest of Visayas
• Mimaropa
• Quezon
• Dinagat Islands
• Zamboanga del Norte

The same areas remain under Signal No. 1 as of 5 am on Tuesday:

• southern part of Masbate (Dimasalang, Cawayan, Palanas, Placer, Cataingan, Esperanza, Pio V. Corpuz)
• Eastern Samar
• Samar
• Northern Samar
• Biliran
• Leyte
• Southern Leyte
• northeastern part of Cebu (Daanbantayan, Medellin, Bogo City, Tabogon, Borbon, Sogod) including Camotes Island
• Dinagat Islands

Areas under Signal No. 1 are experiencing strong winds that pose a “minimal to minor threat to life and property.”

Agaton made landfall twice, in these areas:

• Calicoan Island, Guiuan, Eastern Samar – 7:30 am on Sunday, April 10 (as a tropical storm)
• Basey, Samar – 4 pm on Monday, April 11 (as a tropical depression)

PAGASA sees Agaton lingering in the Samar-Leyte area within the next 12 hours before turning more east southeast toward the Philippine Sea starting Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning, April 13.

The weather bureau noted, however, that due to “the continuing erratic nature” of Agaton’s movement, its track may still change.

Agaton is also likely to weaken into a remnant low within the next 24 hours, “due to the combined effects of land interaction, increasing vertical wind shear, and the effects of the upper-level outflow of Severe Tropical Storm Malakas.”

Whatever would be left of Agaton could head east over the Philippine Sea, or away from land, as it gets absorbed within Malakas’ circulation.

Malakas was last spotted 1,235 kilometers east of Southern Luzon before dawn on Tuesday, still moving north northwest outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) at 15 km/h.

The severe tropical storm slightly intensified, with its maximum sustained winds increasing from 100 km/h to 110 km/h. Its gustiness is now up to 135 km/h from the previous 125 km/h.

Malakas is still expected to intensify into a typhoon by Tuesday evening and reach a peak intensity of 150 km/h by Wednesday evening.

PAGASA reiterated that due to the slight eastward shift in Malakas’ track, the likelihood of it entering PAR has decreased.

Even if Malakas enters PAR, its stay would only be brief, and it could exit by Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning. Its local name would be Basyang.

While Malakas will have no direct effect on weather in the Philippines, the weather bureau warned that swells triggered by the severe tropical storm could cause moderate to rough seas in the northern and eastern seaboards of Luzon and the eastern seaboards of the Visayas and Mindanao. Such conditions could be risky for small vessels.

Sea travel remains dangerous on Tuesday.

Rough seas

Waves 2.8 to 4 meters high; conditions risky for most vessels

• seaboards of areas under Signal No. 1

Moderate to rough seas

Waves 1.2 to 3.7 meters high; conditions risky for small vessels

• remaining seaboards of the Philippines, especially the northern and eastern seaboards of Luzon and the eastern seaboards of the Visayas and Mindanao

– Rappler.com