MANILA, Philippines – Tropical Depression Agaton slightly intensified on Saturday afternoon, April 9, while staying over the eastern seaboard of Eastern Visayas.

Agaton’s maximum sustained winds increased from 45 kilometers per hour to 55 km/h, while its gustiness is now up to 70 km/h from the previous 55 km/h.

Agaton is expected to strengthen further into a tropical storm within the next 12 to 24 hours, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its 5 pm bulletin on Saturday.

The tropical depression was last spotted 130 kilometers east southeast of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, slowly moving northeast.

It is projected to stay almost stationary or move slowly over waters off Eastern Visayas until Tuesday morning, April 12, though landfall in Eastern Samar is also a possibility.

Here is PAGASA’s rainfall forecast for Agaton as of 5 pm on Saturday:

Saturday, April 9, until Sunday morning, April 10

Moderate to heavy rain, with at times intense rain

• Eastern Visayas
• Dinagat Islands

Light to moderate rain, with at times heavy rain

• Masbate
• Sorsogon
• rest of Visayas
• rest of Mindanao

Sunday morning, April 10, until Monday morning, April 11

Moderate to heavy rain, with at times intense rain

• Eastern Visayas
• Dinagat Islands
• Surigao del Norte
• northern part of Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands

Light to moderate rain, with at times heavy rain

• Masbate
• Sorsogon
• rest of Visayas
• rest of Mindanao

The same areas remain under Signal No. 1 as of 5 pm on Saturday. These areas are experiencing strong winds which pose “minimal to minor threat to life and property”:

• Eastern Samar
• Dinagat Islands
• Siargao Island
• Bucas Grande Island

With Agaton set to intensify into a tropical storm, PAGASA said there is a “moderate likelihood” of parts of Eastern Visayas and Caraga being placed under Signal No. 2.

Agaton could begin turning northeast on Monday evening, April 11, or on Tuesday morning as it interacts with the incoming Tropical Storm Malakas, which remains outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

As of Saturday afternoon, Malakas was located 1,915 kilometers east of Mindanao, moving west northwest at 15 km/h. It may enter PAR either late Monday or early Tuesday, and would be given the local name Basyang.

Malakas continues to have maximum sustained winds of 75 km/h and gustiness of up to 90 km/h, but it could strengthen into a typhoon before entering PAR.

PAGASA earlier said Malakas or Basyang is not expected to make landfall in the Philippines and is also unlikely to directly affect weather in the country.

But Malakas will be interacting with Agaton, which would then weaken and eventually become a remnant low by late Tuesday as it gets absorbed by Malakas.

The weather bureau also warned on Saturday afternoon that sea travel will remain risky.

Rough to very rough seas due to Agaton

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

• seaboards of areas under Signal No. 1
• northern and eastern coastal waters of Northern Samar

Rough to very rough seas due to the northeasterly surface windflow

Waves 2.8 to 4.5 meters high; small vessels advised not to sail, larger vessels alerted against big waves

• northern and western seaboards of Northern Luzon (Batanes, Babuyan Islands, northern coast of Cagayan, Ilocos Norte)

Moderate to rough seas

Waves 1.2 to 3.4 meters high; conditions risky for small vessels

• remaining seaboards of the Philippines

Meanwhile, the low pressure area (LPA) that formed outside PAR on Saturday was last spotted 505 kilometers west southwest of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

PAGASA said the LPA is not expected to enter PAR. – Rappler.com