‘Labuyo’ intensifies as it inches closer to northern PH

MANILA, Philippine—Tropical depression Labuyo intensified and accelerated as it moved northwest Friday, the state weather bureau said.

The cyclone packed maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers hour near the center and moved northwest at 19 kph, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said in its 11 a.m. bulletin.

At 10 a.m., Labuyo was seen1,000 kilometers east off the Bicol region. Although it was too far to directly affect any part of the country, it would bring moderate to heavy rains within its 300 km diameter.

Meanwhile, the low pressure area off Occidental Mindoro embedded along the intertropical convergence zone will bring scattered light to moderate rains and thunderstorms over Southern Luzon, Visayas and Northern Mindanao.