Fabian slightly decelerates; southwest monsoon to bring rains over parts of the country

Typhoon Fabian slightly decelerates while moving west-southwestward, according to the latest Severe Weather Bulletin posted by PAGASA.

The center of the eye of Typhoon Fabian was estimated at 740 kilometers east northeast of Itbayat, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour near the center, gustiness of up to 160 kph, and central pressure of 970 hPa and moving west southwestward at 10 kph.

Tropical Cyclone winds will be strong winds or higher extend outwards up to 650 km from the center.

It is the effects of the southwest monsoon, meanwhile, that will be felt over most of the country.

The active tropical cyclone outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), Typhoon Cempaka, is also being monitored by the weather bureau.

Cempaka is 1,090 kilometers west of extreme northern Luzon with maximum sustained winds of 95 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 160 kph and moving slowly in the west northwest direction.

Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, and Northern Palawan including Calamian Islands will have monsoon rains brought about by the southwest monsoon with possible flash floods or landslides due to scattered to widespread moderate to at times heavy rains.

Western Visayas and the rest of Luzon will have cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms Southwest Monsoon with possible flash floods or landslides during moderate to at times heavy rains.

The rest of country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with rainshowers or thunderstorms also due to the southwest monsoon with possible flash floods or landslides during severe thunderstorms.

The wind speed forecast for Luzon and Visayas is moderate to strong moving southwestward while coastal waters will be moderate to strong.

Mindanao will have light to moderate wind speed moving southwestward while coastal waters will remain light to moderate.

The sun will rise at 5:37 a.m. and set by 6:28 p.m.

Fabian is forecast to further intensify and reach its peak intensity of 155 km/h on Thursday evening. Gradual weakening may occur beginning on Saturday as the typhoon passes near or over the rugged terrain of Taiwan. The landfall over mainland China will result in the rapid weakening of Fabian on Sunday.

-- BAP, GMA News