(UPDATE) 'Falcon' stronger as it merges with LPA

MANILA, Philippines - Tropical storm "Falcon" gathered more strength as it merged with a low pressure area while hovering near Bicol region, the state weather bureau said this afternoon.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said that "Falcon" became stronger as it merged with the LPA merged around 4 p.m. the storm's center was estimated at 420 kilometers east of Casiguran, Aurora.

The storm is now packing maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 90 kph. It has slightly accelerated at 15 kph as it continued to move northwestward.

With the absence of a barrier, weather forecasters expect "Falcon" to speed up and exit the Philippine are of responsibility by Sunday morning.

PAGASA said that the weather in Visayas and Mindanao will improve as the storm starts to move out of the country's territory and enter Okinawa, Japan.

Public storm warning signal number one has been hoisted over Quezon and Aurora provinces. Signal number one is still hoisted over Albay, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Isabela, Cagayan including Calayan and Babuyan Group of Islands and Batanes Group of Islands.

As the two weather disturbances merged, rains over Metro Manila became heavier. There were already reports of flooding in several parts of the metropolis, including Valenzuela and Caloocan cities, where afternoon classes have been suspended.

The weather bureau said that Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will continue to experience rains until the weekend.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that a total of 30 international flights and more than 30 domestic flights were cancelled due to the bad weather in the country.

As of this posting, forced evacuation of thousands of residents in Albay and other provinces in Bicol were ongoing. Regional officials in Bicol have barred all types of ships from venturing into the sea.

Eleven people, including 10 fishermen and a 54-year-old woman, have been reported missing in Bicol.

Reports said the fishermen went out sailing in waters off Catanduanes despite warnings from the local government. The woman, meanwhile, was swept by floodwaters while crossing a river in Albay.