MANILA, Philippines – Tropical Depression Aghon was moving toward the Leyte Gulf in Eastern Visayas late Friday evening, May 24, hours ahead of its potential landfall.

In its 11 pm bulletin on Friday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Aghon was already over the coastal waters of San Isidro, Surigao del Norte, moving northwest at 20 kilometers per hour (km/h).

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

Aghon could make landfall in Eastern Samar within 12 hours, likely by early Saturday morning, May 25.

But PAGASA said there is also an “increasing possibility of landfall in the vicinity of Leyte and/or Dinagat Islands” during the same period since the tropical depression’s track has been shifting westward.

Aghon is now projected to hit land as a tropical depression, not a tropical storm, though it might intensify later on.

With Aghon bringing heavy rain, floods and landslides may hit areas in its path. Here is PAGASA’s rainfall forecast as of 11 pm on Friday:

Friday evening, May 24, to Saturday evening, May 25

• 100-200 millimeters (mm): Albay, Sorsogon, Eastern Visayas, Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands
• 50-100 mm: southeastern part of Quezon, rest of Bicol, northern part of Western Visayas, northern part of Cebu

Saturday evening, May 25, to Sunday evening, May 26

• 100-200 mm: Bicol
• 50-100 mm: Polillo Islands, southern part of Quezon, Northern Samar

Meanwhile, the following areas facing strong winds from Aghon remain under Signal No. 1:

• southeastern part of Quezon (Calauag, Guinayangan, Lopez, Buenavista, Catanauan, Mulanay, San Narciso, San Francisco, San Andres, Tagkawayan)
• Camarines Norte
• Camarines Sur
• Catanduanes
• Albay
• Sorsogon
• Masbate including Ticao Island and Burias Island
• Northern Samar
• Samar
• Eastern Samar
• Biliran
• Leyte
• Southern Leyte
• extreme northern part of Cebu (San Remigio, Tabogon, Bogo City, Medellin, Daanbantayan, Borbon) including Camotes Islands and Bantayan Island
• northeastern part of Bohol (President Carlos P. Garcia, Bien Unido, Trinidad, Anda, Candijay, Ubay, Mabini, Alicia, San Miguel, Talibon)
• Dinagat Islands
• Surigao del Norte including Siargao Island and Bucas Grande Island
• Surigao del Sur
• Agusan del Norte
• eastern part of Agusan del Sur (Sibagat, Bayugan City, Prosperidad, San Francisco, Rosario, Bunawan, Trento)

On Saturday, Aghon will also cause moderate to rough seas, with waves 1.5 to 3.5 meters high, in the seaboards of Bicol, the southern seaboard of Quezon, the eastern seaboard of Eastern Visayas, the western seaboard of Samar and Northern Samar, and the eastern seaboard of Caraga.

The weather bureau advised small boats to take precautionary measures, or if possible, to avoid sailing altogether.

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After its potential landfall on Saturday morning, Aghon is expected to keep heading northwest, emerge over the Samar Sea, and cross the Bicol Peninsula between Saturday afternoon and early Sunday morning, May 26.

Then it may emerge over the waters north of Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur by Sunday morning.

PAGASA said that from the time Aghon emerges over the Samar Sea until its passage over Bicol, it may intensify into a tropical storm.

Also on Sunday, Aghon could start recurving toward the northeast. It may keep gaining strength over the Philippine Sea and eventually intensify into a typhoon on Tuesday, May 28.

It might leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Tuesday as well.

Aghon is the country’s first tropical cyclone for 2024. (READ: LIST: Philippine tropical cyclone names in 2024)

PAGASA previously estimated that one or two tropical cyclones could form within or enter PAR in May. – Rappler.com