'Betty' exits Philippines

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 1) — Severe Tropical Storm 'Betty' exited the country's weather monitoring area on Thursday afternoon, the state weather bureau said.

According to the 5 p.m. bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Betty exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility at around 4 p.m.

It was last located 685 kilometers northeast of Itbayat, Batanes, packing maximum sustained winds of 95 kms per hour near the center, gustiness of up to 115 kph, and moving north northeastward at 15 kph.

No Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals have been raised over any provinces.

Though Betty is no longer in the Philippine Area of Responsibility, PAGASA said it enhanced the southwest monsoon, or habagat, which will continue to be the dominant rain-causing system in the country

Moreover, the enhanced southwest monsoon will bring occasional to frequent wind gusts over northern Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Bicol Region, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Northern Samar, and the northern portion of Samar.

The state weather bureau said Betty will continue to gradually move northeastward until Friday over the waters near the Ryukyu Islands in Japan.

Betty is forecast to steadily weaken throughout the forecast period and may be downgraded into tropical storm on Saturday.