MANILA - Severe tropical storm Nimfa has accelerated while maintaining strength, state weather agency PAGASA said Friday.

It was spotted at 10 p.m. at about 650 kilometers northeast of Basco town, Batanes. It was packing maximum sustained winds of up to 95 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and 115 kph gusts while moving north-northwest at 10 kph.

The weather disturbance is expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility Saturday morning.

Between Friday night and Saturday night, the southwest monsoon will bring occasional light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains over Calabarzon, Metro Manila, Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro, and northern portion of Palawan including the Calamian islands.

Intermittent light to moderate rains with scattered heavy rain showers during thunderstorms, meanwhile, will be experienced over Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Camarines Provinces, and the rest of Central Luzon.

Residents of the aforementioned areas, especially those living in areas identified to be highly or very highly susceptible to floods and rain-induced landslides, are advised to take precautionary measures.

The PAGASA said sea travel is risky, especially for small seacrafts, over the seaboards of northern and central Luzon and the eastern seaboard of southern Luzon due to potentially rough to very rough sea conditions. The other seaboards of the country will remain moderate to rough.

Visit the ABS-CBN Weather Center for updates.