Pagasa: ‘Maria’ to enhance ‘habagat’ rains

Tropical typhoon “Maria” is not expected to make landfall in the country, but will bring rains in the next two days, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

At 3 p.m. on Friday, the center of the typhoon was estimated at 2,060 kilometers east of Eastern Visayas.

Weather specialist Samuel Duran said Maria was carrying winds of up to 185 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 225 kph.

While the typhoon has no direct effect on any part of the country, it continues to enhance the southwest monsoon, or “habagat,” Duran said. —MELVIN GASCON