'Agaton' maintains strength; storm signal still up in 6 areas

MANILA, Philippines - Six areas in Mindanao are still under storm signal no. 1 due to Tropical Depression "Agaton," the state weather bureau said Monday.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said (PAGASA) said Agaton was last spotted at 230 kilometers southeast of HInatuan, Surigao del Sur or at 230 kilometers east of Davao City.

Agaton is packing winds of 55 kilomters per hour near the center and is forecast to move west southwest at five kilometers per hour.

PAGASA said storm signal no. 1 remains hoisted over Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur and Compostela Valley.

Moderate to heavy rainfall (five to 15 millimeters per hour) is expected within the 300-kilometer diameter of the tropical depression.

Agaton is expected to bring moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms over northern Mindanao and the rest of Caraga region, PAGASA said.

Sea travel also remains risky over the seaboards of Luzon, Visayas and the Caraga region.

The weather bureau said Agaton is expected to be at 140 kilometers southeast of Davao City or at 185 kilometers southeast of General Santos City tomorrow morning.

Agaton, the first tropical depression to hit the country this year, has brought heavy rains in the Visayas and Mindanao last week even when it was still an LPA, trigerring floods and landslides.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, 40 people have been killed so far due to the tropical depression while 65 are injured and six others remain missing.

A total of 153,193 families or 723,517 families have been affected in 15 provinces in the regions of Northern Mindanao, Davao, Caraga and in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.