MANILA, Philippines — Super Typhoon Champi maintained its strength midday Sunday as it moved closer to the Philippines, state weather bureau PAGASA said.
As of 3 p.m., Champi was located 2,000 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon, still outside the Philippine area of responsibility. Once it steps into the vicinity on Tuesday, it will be renamed "Rosal."
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It was packing maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 230 kph while moving westward at 20 kph.
The easterlies and the Intertropical Convergence Zone, or ITCZ, meanwhile, are expected to bring rain to several parts of the country.
The ITCZ will bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms to the Zamboanga Peninsula, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Palawan.
Quezon, the Bicol Region and Eastern Visayas will also have cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms due to the easterlies.
Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon and the rest of Visayas may experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms, also due to the easterlies.
The rest of Mindanao, meanwhile, may have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to localized thunderstorms.