The typhoon “Fabian” (international name “In-fa”) continued to move slowly over the waters off Batanes on Thursday, July 22, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.

The state weather bureau estimated the center of the eye of the typhoon at 515 kilometers (km) northeast of Itbayat, Batanes as of 10 p.m.

It still packed a maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 185 kph while moving northwestward slowly.

Tropical cyclone wind signal number 1 remains hoisted over Batanes and Babuyan Islands. Strong winds will be experienced over the said areas throughout the passage the typhoon.

PAGASA said scattered to widespread monsoon rains brought by the southwest monsoon or “habagat” which is being enhanced by the typhoon will affect parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila, in the next 24 hours.

Based on the latest weather advisory, the habagat will bring heavy to intense with at times torrential rains over Bataan, Zambales and Occidental Mindoro in the next 24 hours.

Moderate to heavy with at times intense rains will also affect Metro Manila, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Oriental Mindoro, Northern Palawan including Calamian and Kalayaan Islands.

Meanwhile, moderate to at times heavy rains will prevail over Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and Quezon.

State meteorologists said Fabian is forecast to move generally northwestward over the next 72 hours towards the southern portion of the Ryukyu Islands and the eastern portion of mainland China.

Although the typhoon will continue moving slowly in the very near term, a gradual acceleration is expected beginning Friday evening, July 23.

“This typhoon is forecast to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) between Friday late evening and Saturday morning, July 24,” PAGASA said.