Tropical Depression Auring (Dujuan) weakened into a low pressure area (LPA) at 11 am on Monday, February 22, before crossing the Rapu-Rapu Islands in Albay.

In a 2 pm bulletin on Monday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the LPA was over the coastal waters of Rapu-Rapu, moving toward Albay’s eastern coast.

The LPA is expected to cross other areas in Bicol, the southern part of Quezon, Marinduque, and the northern part of the Mindoro provinces in the next 24 hours.

But the state weather bureau said the LPA could also dissipate while crossing Southern Luzon.

As a tropical depression, Auring had made landfall in Batag Island in Laoang, Northern Samar, at 9 am on Monday. But even before hitting land, it first dumped heavy rain in parts of Mindanao, causing floods over the weekend.

It was briefly a severe tropical storm last Friday, February 19, then became a tropical storm that same day and through much of the weekend, before weakening into a tropical depression late Sunday, February 21. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

The weakening has been attributed to interaction with the cold, dry air from the northeast monsoon or hanging amihan, and interaction with the terrain once it hit land.

But PAGASA warned that rain will continue in parts of Luzon, which may cause isolated to scattered floods and landslides.

Monday, February 22

Moderate to heavy rain, with at times intense rain

• Bicol
• Quezon
• Marinduque
• Romblon

Light to moderate rain, with at times heavy rain

• rest of Mimaropa
• Aurora
• Rizal
• Laguna
• Northern Samar

Tuesday, February 23

Moderate to heavy rain

• Camarines Norte
• Quezon
• Aurora

Light to moderate rain, with at times heavy rain

• Camarines Sur
• rest of Calabarzon
• Metro Manila
• Mimaropa
• Bulacan
• Nueva Ecija
• Isabela
• Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
• Batanes

Since Auring is now just an LPA, there are no more areas under Signal No. 1. But “strong breeze conditions” due to the northeast monsoon are expected in the following areas:

• Batanes
• Babuyan Islands
• Aurora
• Quezon

In the Philippines’ seaboards, moderate to rough waters are expected, with waves 1.2 to 3.1 meters high. PAGASA advised small vessels to take precautionary measures and inexperienced mariners to avoid venturing out to sea.

Image from PAGASA

Auring was the Philippines’ first tropical cyclone for 2021.

An average of 20 tropical cyclones form within or enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) each year. (READ: LIST: PAGASA’s names for tropical cyclones in 2021)

These are PAGASA’s latest estimates for the number of tropical cyclones inside PAR in the next 6 months:

• February – 0 or 1
• March – 0 or 1
• April – 0 or 1
• May – 0 or 1
• June – 1 or 2
• July – 2 or 3

PAGASA earlier said La Niña is expected to continue until March 2021, causing above normal rainfall in the country. The onset of La Niña was declared in October 2020. – Rappler.com