'Labuyo' slams into Northern Luzon

MANILA, Philippines - Typhoon "Labuyo" slightly weakened as it made landfall over Casiguran town in Aurora province early Monday.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said that as of 7 a.m., the typhoon's eye was already in the vicinity of Nueva Viscaya.

The typhoon was packing maximum sustained winds of 165 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 200 kph. It was moving west northwest at a speed of 22 kph.

The storm was expected to move out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Tuesday morning.

Public storm warning signal number 3 was hoisted over Cagayan, Isabela, Apayao, Kalinga, Abra, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Benguet, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and northern Aurora.

Storm warning signal No. 2 was raised over Calayan, Babuyan Group of Islands, Zambales, Tarlac, the rest of Aurora and Nueva Ecija while signal number 1 is hoisted over Batanes, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Rizal, northern Quezon, Polillo Island, Laguna, Cavite and Metro Manila.

PAGASA said the typhoon will enhance the southwest monsoon and bring moderate to occasionally heavy rains over Southern Luzon and Western Visayas.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has raised the red alert level nationwide.

The NDRRMC reported that a total of 224 families in Albay and Camarines Norte have been displaced by the typhoon and 8, 709 people remained stranded in seaports in Bicol, Southern Tagalog and Eastern Visayas.