'Odette' pours heavy rains over Metro Manila, nearby provinces

MANILA, Philippines - Several areas in Luzon continued to experience moderate to heavy rains on Sunday even as typhoon "Odette" (international name Usagi) has left the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Saturday night.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said that as of 4 a.m., the center of the typhoon was estimated at 320 kilometers west of Itbayat, Batanes.

Odette, the country's first super typhoon for the year, was packing maximum sustained winds of 160 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 195 kph. It was moving west northwest at a speed of 19 kph.

PAGASA said the storm will continue to enhance southwest monsoon and bring moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms over Metro Manila and provinces in Mimaropa and Calabarzon regions.

"Residents in these areas are advised to be on alert against flashfloods and landslides," PAGASA said. It added that sea travel over the seaboards of Northern and Central Luzon and the western seaboard of Southern Luzon remains risky.

In its 9 a.m. yellow rainfal advisory, PAGASA said moderate to occasional heavy rains were affecting portions of Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Occidental Mindoro and it will continue until noon today.