Tropical Depression Auring continues to weaken as it approaches Dinagat Islands-Homonhon Island Area, Pagasa reported on its 5 am weather bulletin, Monday, February 22.
At 4:00 AM today, the center of Tropical Depression Auring was estimated based on all available data at 195 km East of Maasin City, Southern Leyte. It is moving West Northwestward at 15 km/h with maximum sustained winds of 45 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 55 km/h.
Today, Auring will bring moderate to heavy rains over Bicol Region, Northern Samar, Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Marinduque, Romblon, and Quezon. Light to moderate with at times heavy rains over Aurora and the rest of Visayas, MIMAROPA, and CALABARZON.
Light to moderate with at times heavy rains over CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Metro Manila, Camarines Norte, Bulacan, Aurora, Isabela, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, and Batanes would be experienced tomorrow.
In the next 24 hours, the combined effects of the Northeast Monsoon and “AURING” will bring strong breeze to near-gale conditions with occasionally higher gusts over the areas where Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) #1 is in effect, as well as over Aurora, Quezon, Marinduque, Romblon, Oriental Mindoro, Batanes, Babuyan Islands, the northern portions of Ilocos Norte and mainland Cagayan, Cuyo Islands, Cagayancillo Islands, and the rest of Visayas and Bicol Region.
Tropical Depression Auring continues to weaken
Auring is forecast to continue moving generally west-northwestward to northwestward throughout the forecast period. On the forecast track and its probability cone, the tropical depression may initially make landfall over the Dinagat Islands-Eastern Samar (southern portion including Homonhon Island)-Leyte area in the next 6 to 12 hours.
There is an increasing likelihood that Auring will further weaken before it makes landfall due to persistent high vertical wind shear associated with the surge of the Northeast Monsoon. Post-landfall, Auring is forecast to weaken considerably due to significant terrain interaction and the increasing wind shear, leading to deterioration into a remnant low within 24 hours, possibly sooner.
In the next 24 hours, rough seas will be experienced over the seaboards of areas under TCWS #1, the eastern seaboard of Central Luzon, the eastern seaboard of Southern Luzon not under any TCWS (2.5 to 3.5 m), the southern seaboard of Luzon and the remaining seaboards of Visayas (2.5 to 3.0 m). Sea travel is risky especially for those using small seacrafts.