PAGASA monitoring active tropical cyclone outside PAR

State weather bureau PAGASA is monitoring an active tropical cyclone outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

The tropical depression is located 455 kilometers west of Itbayat, Batanes with maximum sustained winds at 45 kilometers per hour (kph), gustiness of up to 55 kph, and moving northward at 10 kph, based on PAGASA's 4 p.m. daily weather bulletin.

Meanwhile, PAGASA said the Habagat or Southwest Monsoon will be affecting western section of northern Luzon and is expected to bring rains across the country in the next 24 hours.

Cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms will prevail over the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Batanes, and Cagayan caused by Habagat.

Affected residents were advised to prepare for possible flash floods or landslides due to moderate to at times heavy rains.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

Flash floods or landslides may occur during severe thunderstorms, PAGASA said.

The wind speed forecast for the whole country will be light to moderate while coastal water conditions will be slight to moderate, ranging from 0.6 meters to 2.1 meters.—Mel Matthew Doctor/LDF, GMA News