MANILA — Severe tropical storm Florita maintained its strength after hitting land and moved to Cagayan province on Tuesday afternoon, state weather bureau PAGASA said.

In its 2 p.m. bulletin, PAGASA said Florita was spotted in Alcala, Cagayan. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers near the center and up to 185 kph gusts.

Florita made landfall in Isabela province at around 10 a.m.

PAGASA said the storm would bring heavy to intense with at times torrential rains over Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Isabela, Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Zambales, and Bataan.

Moderate to heavy with at times intense rains will lash the northern portion of Aurora, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Cavite, Rizal, and the rest of Cagayan Valley. Light to moderate rains are expected over the rest of Central Luzon and the rest of Calabarzon, PAGASA added.

"Under these conditions, scattered to widespread flooding (including flash floods) and rain-induced landslides are expected especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazard[s]," it warned.

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PAGASA raised tropical cyclone warning signal no. 3 in the following areas, where 121 to 170 kph winds could damage nipa and cogon houses, knock down power and communication, and uproot trees.

• Northern portion of Ilocos Norte (Adams, Dumalneg, Bangui, Burgos, Pasuquin, Vintar, Pagudpud, Carasi, Bacarra, Piddig)
• Apayao
• Southern portion of Babuyan Islands (Camiguin Is., Fuga Is., Dalupiri Is.)
• Mainland Cagayan
• Northeastern portion of Isabela (Palanan, Divilacan, Maconacon, San Pablo, Tumauini, Cabagan, Santa Maria, Santo Tomas, Delfin Albano, Ilagan City, San Mariano)

Storm signal 2 was hoisted over the following areas, where 61 to 120 kph winds may be expected in at least 24 hours, PAGASA said.

• Rest of Babuyan Islands
• Rest of Isabela
• Quirino
• Northern and eastern portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Quezon, Diadi, Bagabag, Villaverde, Solano, Kasibu)
• Abra
• Kalinga
• Mountain Province
• Ifugao
• Northern portion of Benguet (Buguias, Bakun, Mankayan, Kibungan)
• Rest of Ilocos Norte
• Ilocos Sur
• Northern portion of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, Dipaculao)

PAGASA said storm signal 1 is in effect in the following areas.

• Batanes
• Rest of Nueva Vizcaya
• Rest of Benguet
• La Union
• Eastern portion of Pangasinan (Santo Tomas, Villasis, Mapandan, Mangaldan, San Fabian, San Jacinto, Manaoag, City of Urdaneta, Rosales, Balungao, Umingan, San Quintin, Natividad, San Nicolas, Tayug, Santa Maria, Asingan, San Manuel, Binalonan, Sison, Pozorrubio, Laoac, Dagupan City)
• Northeastern portion of Tarlac (San Manuel, Anao)
• Nueva Ecija
• Rest of Aurora

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Florita has prompted the suspension of government work and public school classes in Metro Manila and several other areas, a day after Academic Year 2022 to 2023 opened.

• Palace suspends work and classes in NCR, select provinces on Aug. 23-24 due to Florita

Some 500 people in northern Luzon were evacuated due to Florita, the state disaster response agency said.

Moving west northwestward at 20 kph, Florita is expected to cross mainland Cagayan and Apayao, said PAGASA. The storm will emerge over the Babuyan Channel on Tuesday night and may leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility early Wednesday, added the weather bureau.