#MarioPH heading toward Taiwan

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MANILA, Philippines (2nd UPDATE) – Tropical Storm Mario (Fung-Wong) maintained its strength on Saturday evening, September 20, as it continues to move toward southern Taiwan, said state weather bureau PAGASA.

As of 11 pm Saturday, the center of Mario was spotted at 186 km west northwest of Itbayat, Batanes.

The tropical storm packs maximum sustained winds of 95 km per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 120 km per hour. It is seen to move north northeast at 17 km per hour, with moderate to heavy rains (7 to 15 mm per hour) within its 450-km diameter.

PAGASA has placed the following areas under public storm warning signal number 2:

• Batanes Group of Islands

These areas will have stormy weather with rough to very rough seas.

Meanwhile, public storm warning signal number 1 is raised over:

• Calayan and Babuyan Group of Islands
• Apayao
• Ilocos Norte
• Abra

In these areas, rains with gusty winds will be experienced, with moderate to rough seas.

The combined effect of Mario and the southwest monsoon will bring moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms – which may trigger flashfloods and landslides – as well as moderate to strong winds over Zambales, Bataan, and the rest of northern Luzon, said PAGASA.

Meanwhile, the rest of Central Luzon will have occasional rains. The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy, with isolated rainshowers or thuderstorms.

Mario is expected to be at 433 km north northwest of Itbayat, Batanes (or in the vicinity of northern Taiwan) by Sunday evening, September 21; and at 791 km north of Itbayat – or outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) – by Monday evening, September 22.

The next bulletin for Mario will be issued at 5 am Sunday. 

Here is PAGASA’s weather forecast for Sunday:

City	Forecast		Temperature Range
Metro Manila		Occasional rains	24°C-31°C
Tuguegarao		Rains with gusty winds	24°C-29°C
Laoag		Stormy	25°C-28°C
Baguio		Monsoon rains	15°C-20°C
Subic/Olongapo; Clark/Angeles		Occasional rains	22°C-29°C
Tagaytay		Occasional rains	20°C-28°C
Lipa		Occasional rains	24°C-31°C
Legazpi		Partly cloudy to cloudy skies  with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms	25°C-32°C
Puerto Princesa		Partly cloudy to cloudy skies  with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms	24°C-32°C
Iloilo/Bacolod		Partly cloudy to cloudy skies  with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms	25°C-32°C
Metro Cebu		Partly cloudy to cloudy skies  with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms	24°C-32°C
Tacloban		Partly cloudy to cloudy skies  with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms	24°C-32°C
Cagayan de Oro		Partly cloudy to cloudy skies  with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms	21°C-32°C
Metro Davao		Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms	25°C-32°C
Zamboanga		Partly cloudy to cloudy skies  with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms	24°C-33°C

– Rappler.com