Philippines braces for floods as first storm of 2024 hits land
Tropical depression Aghon made landfall on Saturday in Giporlos in Eastern Samar province
Manila: The Philippines has warned of heavy rainfall and strong winds hitting the archipelago as tropical depression Aghon made landfall on Saturday, and threatened to intensify into a typhoon before leaving the Southeast Asian nation.
Aghon, the first tropical depression to enter the Philippines this year, made landfall in the municipality of Giporlos in Eastern Samar province early Saturday morning. As of am local time, the eye of the storm was spotted over coastal waters of Calbayog City in Samar, moving northwestward at 30 kilometres per hour , according to the weather bureau.
About two dozen areas were placed under the lowest storm alert because winds could damage crops and homes made of light materials. Flooding and landslides are possible in some areas, the agency said.
The Philippines has an average of 20 tropical cyclones a year, making it one of the world's worst-hit countries.