Nimfa now a severe tropical storm; Habagat to bring rains to parts of Luzon

Tropical Storm Nimfa intensified into a severe tropical storm Friday afternoon, according to weather bureau PAGASA's 5 p.m. severe weather bulletin.

At 4 p.m., Nimfa was near stationary 630 kilometers east-northeast of the Batanes' Basco town, with 95 kilometer per hour sustained winds and gusts of up to 115 kph.

According to PAGASA's projections, Nimfa was expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility Saturday morning.

Meanwhile, the Southwest Monsoon would bring occasional light to moderate and intermittent heavy rain over Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro, and the Calamian Islands.

Metro Manila, the Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, CALABARZON, Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, the Camarines Provinces, and the rest of Central Luzon and northern portion of Palawan would experience intermittent light to moderate rain with scattered heavy rain showers.

Sea travel over the seaboards of northern and Central Luzon and the eastern seaboard of Southern Luzon was risky due to potentially rough to very rough sea conditions.

Conditions in the country's other seaboards would remain moderate to rough. — Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM, GMA News