Tropical Storm Aere, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Bebeng, was a mild tropical storm that affected eastern Philippines and southern Japan. It was the first
named storm of the
2011 Pacific typhoon season
The 2011 Pacific typhoon season was a below average season that produced a total of 21 named storms, 8 typhoons, and four super typhoons. This season was much more active than the previous season, although both seasons were below the Pacific typ ...
. ''Aere'' is the
Marshallese word for ''
storm''.
In the Philippines, Aere brought very heavy rainfall triggering landslides and floods knocking out power in several areas across Luzon. More than 50 flights were canceled or diverted because of the bad weather conditions and President Benigno Aquino III delayed his flight home from a summit in Indonesia by a day. The coastguards have stopped smaller boats from leaving ports in Catanduanes and surrounding areas, leaving 1,379 people stranded. More than 7,200 hectares (17,800 acres - 27 square miles) of rice, corn and high-value crops costing more than 118 million pesos ($2.7 million) were destroyed or damaged. At least 35 people have been killed and two more are missing as a result of Aere. Agricultural losses are estimated at PHP1.37 billion (US$31.7 million).
Meteorological history
On 3 May, the JTWC started to monitor a tropical disturbance that had developed within a monsoon trough about 140 km (85 mi) to the west of
Palau
Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caro ...
.
At this time the disturbances low level circulation centre was weak and unorganized, while a minimal amount of deep convection was observed around the system.
Over the next couple of days the depression gradually developed further before it was declared a tropical depression by the JMA and the JTWC during 6 May.
Preparations
Philippines
Almost immediately after the PAGASA started monitoring the system, the NDRRMC raised storm warning signal 1 over the areas of
Luzon
Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
and
Visayas
The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands (Bisayan languages, Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; tl, Kabisayaan ), are one of the three Island groups of the Philippines, principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Luzon and Mindanao ...
. The Philippine National Police were directed to continuously report the events to the NDRRMC as it happened. The Department of Health also alerted all the hospitals in the storm prone regions and asked them to sat in continuous coordination with PAGASA. Soon, the PDRRMC initiated evacuations across the