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MANILA - Typhoon Ulysses continues to move away from the Philippines Thursday night while maintaining its strength, state weather bureau PAGASA said.

In its 11 p.m. advisory, PAGASA said Ulysses was last spotted 300 km west of Iba, Zambales, packing maximum sustained winds of 120 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph while moving westward at 20 kph.

All tropical cyclone wind signals in the country have been lifted, but the weather agency said the typhoon and the surge of the northeast monsoon will still bring gusty conditions over Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Zambales, Bataan, and northern Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Island.

Moderate to rough seas meanwhile will be experienced over the eastern seaboards of Luzon. Sea travel is risky for all types of seacrafts over these waters.

Ulysses is expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) tomorrow morning, and likely to maintain its strength in the next 24 hours before eventually weakening into a severe tropical storm.

Between Thursday and Friday noon, moderate to heavy with at times intense rains will still be experienced over Batanes, Babuyan Islands, northern and eastern portions of mainland Cagayan, the eastern portion of Isabela, the northern and central portions of Aurora, Quirino, and Apayao.

Light to moderate with at times heavy rains will prevail over Ilocos Region, the rest of Cordillera Administrative Region, the rest of Cagayan Valley, the rest of Aurora, the northern portion of Quezon including Polillo Islands, Zambales, and Bataan.

PAGASA warned that flooding, rain-induced landslides, and sediment-laden streamflows (like lahar in Bicol) may occur in affected areas.

Tens of thousands of homes in low-lying suburbs in the country were submerged by the floods, prompting residents to scramble onto rooftops awaiting rescue.

Ulysses, the 21st cyclone to hit the Philippines this year, battered a nation still reeling from Rolly, the world's most powerful typhoon this year that killed 25 people and destroyed thousands of homes early in November.

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