MANILA – (UPDATE) Tropical depression “Gorio” accelerated early Friday morning as it crossed the Babuyan Islands off the northern tip of Luzon, the state-run weather bureau said.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), “Gorio” was spotted at 4 a.m. in the vicinity of Calayan Island, or 120 kilometers north northeast of Aparri, Cagayan.

It was packing maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour near the center and moving northwest at 22 kph.

Pagasa has raised public storm signal number 1 over Cagayan, the Babuyan group of islands, Kalinga, Apayao, Abra, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte and Batanes.It warned residents in low-lying areas and near mountains of possible flashfloods and landslides.

Pagasa said Gorio was expected to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring rains over extreme Northern Luzon, where coastal waters would be moderate to rough, as well as over the western section of Luzon and Western Visayas.

The rest of the country will have mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms.

The western sections of Central and Southern Luzon and Western Visayas may have cloudy weather with widespread rains, Pagasa said.

By Saturday morning, Gorio is expected to be 530 kilometers northwest of Laoag City or 540 kilometers west northwest Basco, Batanes.