'Carina' exits PAR; monsoon rains to persist across Luzon until Saturday

MANILA, Philippines — Typhoon Carina (international name: Gaemi) is less likely to cause heavy rains after exiting the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) early Thursday, but the enhanced southwest monsoon may still dump moderate to intense rainfall in Luzon until Saturday, according to state weather bureau PAGASA on Thursday.

Tropical cyclone Carina has left PAR as of 6:20 a.m. on Thursday.

According to PAGASA's 5 a.m. advisory, the southwest monsoon enhanced by Carina will bring moderate to intense rainfall over parts of western Luzon from Thursday to Saturday.  

PAGASA's latest heavy rainfall warning issued 8 a.m. warned that the orange warning level is still hoisted over Zambales and Bataan, where flooding is "still threatening."

Meanwhile, the yellow warning level is up for Tarlac and Pampanga, which mean flooding could take place in flood-prone areas.

Light to moderate with occasional heavy rains could also drench Metro Manila, Nueva Ecija, Cavite, Batangas, Risal, Quezon and Laguna within the next three hours or before noon. These could also affect nearby areas.

As of early Thursday morning, Carina was crossing Taiwan with maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts up to 250 kph, according to the state weather agency PAGASA.

The typhoon is forecast to exit from the northern bounds of the Philippine area of responsibility, emerge over the Taiwan Strait later today before making a final landfall in China's Fujian province by evening.

Batanes is now under Signal No. 1, with expected winds of 39 to 61 km per hour in the next 36 hours.    

PAGASA has lifted the tropical cyclone warning signals elsewhere.