‘Kabayan’ intensifies into typhoon

MANILA, Philippines—Tropical Storm Kabayan  strengthened into a typhoon Saturday but the weather bureau said the new weather disturbance was still too far  to directly affect any part of the country.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration  said rains would continue in the western section of Luzon and the Visayas due to the southwest monsoon.

Pagasa also warned of flashfloods and landslides in Bataan, Zambales and Pangasinan, which would continue to experience moderate to heavy monsoon rains.

The rest of the country would be mostly cloudy with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms.

Kabayan was located 1,030 kilometers east of Casiguran, Aurora Saturday afternoon. It had maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph. It was moving north at 11 kph.

By Sunday morning, it was expected to be 1,130 km east of Aparri, Cagayan, and 1,090 km east northeast of Basco, Batanes by Monday. Kabayan was moving in the direction of Japan.