‘Gardo’ leaves, enhances monsoon

Typhoon “Gardo” (international name “Maria”) will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon or “habagat” until the weekend even if it is already outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility.

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration weather specialist Loriedin dela Cruz said the habagat enhanced by Gardo will affect most parts of the country.

The typhoon as of yesterday morning was 650 kilometers north of extreme Northern Luzon with maximum sustained winds of 160 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 195 kph.

Dela Cruz said moderate to heavy monsoon rains will affect Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Romblon, and Western Visayas.

Occasional monsoon rains will prevail over Metro Manila, Bicol, Zamboanga Peninsula, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Pangasinan, Marinduque, and the rest of Central Luzon and Southern Luzon.