‘Gardo’ maintains strength as it heads toward Taiwan

Typhoon Gardo (international name: Maria) maintained its strength as it headed toward the northern Taiwan area, the state weather agency said on Tuesday midday.

At 10:00 AM today, the eye of Typhoon “GARDO” was located based on all available data at 635 km Northeast of Basco, Batanes (24.2 °N, 126.6 °E)
Strength: Maximum sustained winds of 170 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 210 kph
Forecast to move West Northwest at 30 kph pic.twitter.com/RlIHG3eq3X

— PAGASA-DOST (@dost_pagasa) July 10, 2018

Monsoon rains will continue over Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, Mindoro, Northern Palawan, and Romblon.

Occasional rains are expected over Metro Manila, Western Visayas, and the rest of Central Luzon and southern Luzon until Wednesday.

Gardo was last spotted 635 kilometers northeast of Basco, Batanes, blowing winds of 170 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 210 kph, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

The typhoon continued to move west northwest at 40 kph.

Pagasa warned of risky sea travel over the northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Luzon.

Gardo is expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility between Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning.   /vvp