SEVERE Tropical Storm "Gorio" has intensified and slightly accelerated while moving northwest, the weather state bureau said on Friday morning, July 28.
In its 5 a.m. advisory, the Philippine Atmosperic, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the storm is located at 545 kilometers (km) east northeast of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.
Pagasa said Gorio was packing maximum winds of 105 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 130 kph.
Gorio and a tropical depression located over West Philippine Sea were expected to bring moderate to occasional heavy rains over west Luzon, including Metro Manila, and light to moderate rains over the rest of Luzon and Visayas., Pagasa said.
The other tropical depression is still outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility at 450 km west of Calayan, Cagayan.
Pagasa said the tropical storm is forecast to move northwest at 15 kph.
Meanwhile, the province of Batanes still remain under Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal number 1 as of Friday morning. (Jo Ann Sablad/VoxPop Philippines)