Warning Center (JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert on the system, for the consolidating and slightly better defined low-level circulation center, favorable sea surface temperature, moderate vertical wind shear, as well as highly diffluent outflow. Early on January 17, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) upgraded the system from a low-pressure area to a tropical depression and assigned the local name Agaton, when the system was partially exposed with flaring deep convection along the northwestern quadrant. The JMA upgraded the tropical depression to a tropical storm about east of Surigao City and named it Lingling at 00:00 UTC on January 18, shortly before the JTWC upgraded the system to a tropical depression. Lingling's central convection and the banding associated with a partially exposed low-level circulation center have become improved, when the storm started to drift southward away from a strong northeasterly surge in a weak steering environment. Six hours later, the JTWC upgraded Lingling to a tropical storm, based on the scatterometer data and Dvorak estimates. However, half a day later, the JTWC downgraded Lingling to a tropical depression as its deep central convection was diminishing under the influence of moderate to strong vertical wind shear. Lingling began to accelerate south-southeastward under the influence of the strong northeasterly surge flow on January 19, and was struggling to consolidate due to the marginally favorable upper-level conditions. Late on the same day, the JTWC issued the final warning on Lingling, as the infrared satellite imageries depicted an exposed, weakening low-level circulation center with isolated, flaring convection sheared to the northwest. A ship observation at 15:00 UTC, north-northeast of the system, reported winds at only with atmospheric pressure of . During January 20, the JMA reported that the system weakened into a tropical depression, before the system was last noted later that day as it dissipated to the southeast of the Philippines. Impact Despite not making landfall on the Philippines, the system brought considerable rainfall over several days to southern Mindanao that caused six flooding and sixteen landslide incidents. As a result, the majority of the 70 deaths caused by the system in the Philippines were caused by landslides or drowning. Other impacts caused by Lingling (Agaton) included damage to 3,482 houses and flooding to the irrigation dams in Cateel, Davao Oriental. Overall the total cost of damages was estimated at (). Several towns in Davao Oriental, including Baganga,