‘Gorio’ intensifies; cloudiness, rain likely till Friday afternoon

PAGASA located ‘Gorio’ at 605 east of Cagayan province’s Tuguegarao City as of 3 p.m. Thursday. (PNA photo)

MANILA – Monsoon rains, which may trigger flash floods and landslides, are expected over Metro Manila; Ilocos, Cordillera, Central Luzon and Calabarzon regions as well as Mindoro and Palawan provinces, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its 24-hour forecast released Thursday afternoon (July 27).

Cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms will be experienced over the Visayas and rest of Luzon, PAGASA noted.

Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with either isolated rain showers or thunderstorms will prevail over Mindanao, PAGASA also said.

The southwest monsoon or ‘habagat’ is affecting Luzon and Western Visayas, said PAGASA.

Storm ‘Gorio’ (international name ‘Nesat’) already intensified into a severe tropical storm, PAGASA said further.

PAGASA located ‘Gorio’ at 605 east of Cagayan province’s Tuguegarao City as of 3 p.m. Thursday.

‘Gorio’ then packed maximum sustained winds of 90 kph near its center and gustiness of up to 115 kph, noted PAGASA.

According to PAGASA, ‘Gorio’ is expected to move northwest at 13 kph.

“Moderate to strong winds blowing from the southwest to south will prevail over Luzon,” PAGASA said.

Coastal waters there will be moderate to rough, noted PAGASA.

Moderate to occasionally strong winds coming from the southwest to west are possible over rest of the country with moderate to occasionally rough seas, PAGASA added.