Dindo maintains strength

MANILA, Philippines - Typhoon Dindo is still not expected to directly affect any part of the country this weekend, even as it maintained strength while remaining stationary at the northeastern part of the Philippine area of responsibility.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, Dindo was located at 970 kilometers northeast of Itbayat, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 160 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 195 kph.

The typhoon was almost stationary yesterday afternoon, although an earlier track of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) showed that Dindo would be at 945 kilometers and 1,050 km northeast of Itbayat today and tomorrow morning, respectively.

Dindo will be outside the Philippine area of responsibility by Sunday morning.

No cyclone signal was raised in any part of the country, as the weather system is too far from landmass.

Rainshowers will prevail over some parts of the country due to the southwest monsoon.

Cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms are expected over Ilocos region, Central Luzon and Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan).

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers and thunderstorms.