Gardo maintains strength, course; sporadic rain over west PHL areas

Typhoon Gardo (international name Maria) maintained its strength, even as it continued to make its way west-northwest at 30 kilometers per hour over the northern Philippine Sea Monday night.

According to weather service PAGASA's 11 p.m. bulletin, Gardo was 860 kilometers east-northeast of Basco, Batanes, with 185 kph sustained winds which could gust up to 225 kph.

Gardo was expected to enhance the southwest monsoon, which would bring occasional rain over the Mimaropa and Western Visayas Regions in the next 48 hours.

Scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms were also expected over Metro Manila, the Calabarzon Region, Bicol Region, Zambales, Bataan, and Aurora.

PAGASA warned that low-lying and mountainous sections in these regions could experience flooding and landslides. Gardo also made sea travel risky over the northern and eastern seaboards of northern Luzon.

Given the typhoon's speed and direction, Gardo was expected to be:

• 520 kms north-northeast of Basco, Batanes by Tuesday evening, and
• 935 kms north-northwest of Basco, Batanes, and outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, by Wednesday evening.

— DVM, GMA News