MANILA - Tropical depression Agaton, the first major storm to hit the Philippines this year, is set to assimilate into the circulation of severe tropical storm Malakas in the next 24 hours, state weather bureau PAGASA said Tuesday.

In a tropical cyclone bulletin, PAGASA said this is due to the combined effects of land interaction, increasing vertical wind shear, and the effects of the upper-level outflow of Malakas.

Typhoon #Malakas at sunrise in the Philippine Sea. Maximum wind speeds of 120 km/h. #TyphoonMalakas #台風1号 pic.twitter.com/9TaL4yYvTD

— Zoom Earth (@zoom_earth) April 12, 2022

STS #Malakas continues pushing N in Philippine Sea (nearing Typhoon status) after having its outflow help erode TD #Megi (#AgatonPH) over the rugged & sheared environment of Samar-Leyte Philippines
JMA have it to 75kn approaching Iwo Jima group & JTWC 85kn on weakening trend pic.twitter.com/YZ0u1OgvQb

— #TropicalcyclonesWorldwide (@Tropicalcyclon8) April 11, 2022

Agaton was last seen at 7 a.m. Tuesday over Marabut, Samar, according to the state weather bureau. It is moving eastward slowly.

Tropical cyclone wind signal no. 1 is still raised over the following areas:

• The southern portion of Masbate (Dimasalang, Cawayan, Palanas, Placer, Cataingan, Esperanza, Pio V. Corpuz)
• Eastern Samar
• Samar
• Northern Samar
• Biliran
• Leyte
• Southern Leyte
• the northeastern portion of Cebu (Daanbantayan, Medellin, City of Bogo, Tabogon, Borbon, Sogod) including Camotes Island
• Dinagat Islands

ABS-CBN resident meteorologist Ariel Rojas said that as of 3 a.m. Tuesday, Malakas was last seen 1, 235 km east of southern Luzon, close to the Philippine Area of Responsibility's (PAR) eastern boundary.

It has maximum winds of 110kph and gustiness of up to 135kph. It is moving north-northwestward at 15kph.

"Nagkaroon ng pasilangan na shift or pagkilos itong track ni severe tropical storm Malakas kaya ayon sa PAGASA, bumaba ang tsansa nito na pumasok sa loob ng PAR," Rojas said.

"Pero pag pumasok pa rin ito, dahil of course erratic ang movement ng bagyo, ito ay bibgiyan ng local name na Basyang, pero mananatili ito sa loob ng PAR nang napakaikling panahon lamang," he added.