Expect monsoon rains until weekend - PAGASA

Typhoon "Gardo" (Maria) will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon (habagat) until weekend even if it has left the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) and will affect most parts of the country.

By Wednesday morning, the typhoon was at 650 kilometers north of extreme Northern Luzon with maximum sustained winds of 160 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 195 kph.

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) weather specialist Loriedin dela Cruz said moderate to heavy monsoon rains will affect Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Romblon, and Western Visayas.

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

The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers due to localized thunderstorms.

PAGASA said the public should remain on alert for possible flash floods or landslides due to light to moderate to at times heavy rains.

Due to the enhanced habagat, a gale warning remains in effect as rough to very rough seas is expected over Batanes, Babuyan group of islands, Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Island, and Palawan including Calamian group of islands.

Fishing boats and other small sea crafts are advised not to sail at sea, while larger sea vessels are warned against big waves.

Meanwhile, two low pressure areas outside PAR are also being monitored by the weather bureau.

One of the LPAs was spotted over the West Philippine Sea, which may not affect the country, while another located east of Mindanao will likely enter the PAR possibly as a tropical cyclone by weekend.