MANILA, Philippines — Typhoon Mangkhut (international name) will continue to affect "habagat" or the southwest monsoon as it nears the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), state weather bureau PAGASA said Wednesday morning.
Palawan, western Visayas and the western section of Mindanao will experience monsoon rains while Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will experience isolated rainshowers and thunderstorms.
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At 3 a.m., Mangkhut was located 1,390 kilometers east of Luzon with maxium sustained winds of up to 200 kph and gusts of up to 245 kph. It is forecasted to move west at 15 kph.
The weather disturbance is expected to enter the country's jurisdiction within the day. It will be called "Ompong" once it enters PAR.
Senior weather specialist Chris Perez said Mangkhut has not changed its forecast track as it is expected to pass through the northern Luzon area.
Meanwhile, tropical storm Bajirat (local name Neneng) was last located 550 kilometers west of Basco, Batanes with winds up to 85 kph and gusts up to 105 kph.
It is forecasted to move west at 15 kph and will no longer have direct effect to the country.
The United States' Joint Typhoon Warning Center has upgraded Mangkhut to a super typhoon.