THE first weather disturbance that entered the Philippine area of responsibility in 2013 has turned into a tropical depression, forcing the state weather bureau to raise storm signals in at least nine provinces on Thursday.

Auring, the first cyclone to hit the country this year, was 190 kilometers (km) southeast of Puerto Princesa City with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center. It is forecast to move west at 28kph. It is expected to bring moderate to heavy rains within its 250-kilometer diameter, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

Auring was forecast to be 180km southwest of Puerto Princesa this morning and 460km west of Puerto Princesa by Friday or outside the Philippine territory.

Pagasa raised Storm Signal No.1 in Palawan, southern part of Negros provinces, Siquijor Island, Lanao del Norte and del Sur, Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del Norte and del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay.

Residents living in low-lying and mountainous areas under Storm Signal No.1 were warned against possible flashfloods and landslides.

Fishing boats and other small seacrafts were also advised not to venture out into the eastern seaboards of the country and over the northern and western seaboards of northern Luzon due to the northeast monsoon and over the western seaboard of Visayas and Mindanao due to the tropical depression.

Pagasa also said that a second typhoon may hit the country next week if the cloudiness spotted developed into another low pressure area and eventually into a tropical depression.

Cancelled
At least six domestic flights were canceled on Thursday because of bad weather. The Manila International Airport Authority said that four flights from Cebu Pacific Air and two from Zest Air had been canceled.

The canceled flights are Cebu Pacific flights 5J-781/5J-782 (Manila-Ozamiz-Manila); 5J-771/5J-772 (Manila-Pagadian-Manila); and Zest Air flights Z2-260/Z2-261 (Masbate-Manila-Masbate).

With Reports From Benjie L. Vergara and William B. Depasupil