Incoming typhoon Gardo to enhance monsoon all weekend

Much of the Philippines will be in for a rainy weekend as Gardo, now classified as a super typhoon, is expected to enhance the southwest monsoon starting Saturday.

In its latest update, local weather bureau PAGASA said although chances of Gardo making landfall remain slim, it is still expected to enhance the southwest monsoon, which could bring cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorm to the following areas:

• Metro Manila
• Western Visayas
• Palawan
• Mindoro provinces
• Batangas
• Cavite
• Bataan

PAGASA warned of possible flash floods or landslides in these areas due to light to moderate to at times heavy rains.

For the rest of the country, partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers are expected over the weekend, caused localized thunderstorms.

Gardo, with an international name "Maria" and still outside the PAR, was last spotted it to be 2,050 kilometers east of Central Luzon.

It was packing maximum sustained winds moving at 185 kph near the center with a gustiness of 225 kph.

Expected to continue moving north northwest at a speed 15 kph, Gardo is forecast to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Monday.

GMA News resident meteorologist Nathaniel "Mang Tani" Cruz on Friday evening said the US-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) had already placed Gardo in the category of a super typhoon.

Much of the country may continue to experience the super typhoon's effects even after it leaves PAR, Mang Tani said. — Margaret Claire Layug/MDM, GMA News