BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Tropical depression “Auring” is forecast to pass northern Negros Occidental over the weekend.
The Provincial Disaster Management Program Division (PDMPD) was placed on “full alert” yesterday.
“Auring” is the first storm to enter the country this year.
Zeaphard Caelian, PDMPD head, urged local government units to be extra vigilant even while containing the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
According to Caelian, “Auring” would likely reach the province on Sunday or Monday if it maintain its current course and speed.
Negros Occidental’s northern areas had been badly hit by floods caused by the tail-end of a frontal system last month with damage to agriculture reaching P110 million.
The floods also displaced more than 38,000 families and damaged more than 1,000 houses during the second weekend of January alone.
Meanwhile, Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) clarified that “Auring” has yet to affect any part of the country’s landmass directly, and rains experienced over Visayas and Mindanao are still brought by the tail end of a frontal system.
The weather system was last seen 700 kilometers east southeast of Hinatuan in Surigao del Sur, packing maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 70 kph.
Mindanao may start feeling the effects of “Auring” today but it would only be because of its trough. Pagasa also reminded Metro Manila residents that a significant amount of rain may be experienced by the weekend even if “Auring” does not directly hit the National Capital Region.
But for Thursday, eastern parts of Luzon would still be affected by the northeast monsoon or amihan, which would bring light rains and cold weather.
A new surge of the amihan would mean the start of slightly lower temperatures again over Tuguegarao, which is at 21 to 30 degrees Celsius, Laoag and Metro Manila with 22 to 30 degrees, Baguio with 13 to 21 degrees, Tagaytay with 20 to 28 degrees, and Legazpi with 24 to 30 degrees.
Down south in Visayas and Mindanao, Tacloban would be a bit colder from 24 to 29 degrees Celsius compared to Iloilo and Cebu’s 25 to 30 degrees.
Davao and Zamboanga would also be slightly colder from 24 to 31 degrees, while Cagayan de Oro would have something from 24 to 30 degrees.
Due to the northeast monsoon’s surge, a gale warning was hoisted over the waters over Northern Luzon, particularly Ilocos Norte, Batanes, and Cagayan including the Babuyan Islands.
Fisherfolk using small boats in these areas are not allowed to set sail because gale-force winds may be experienced./PN
