MANILA - Typhoon Fabian on Wednesday afternoon maintained its strength as it enhanced the southwest monsoon which brought heavy rains in Metro Manila and parts of Luzon, state weather bureau PAGASA said.

The country's 6th tropical cyclone this year was last located 655 kilometers northeast of Itbayat, Batanes, packing maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center, with gusts of up to 185 kph.

Fabian is currently moving westward at 10 kph, according to PAGASA.

The typhoon and a tropical depression 1,145 km west of extreme Northern Luzon are also amplifying the effects of the habagat.

Earlier in the day, PAGASA issued warnings regarding possible flooding in these areas.

• Heavy rainfall warning up in Metro Manila, nearby provinces due to habagat

The weather bureau added that monsoon rains would persist in the next 24 hours over the following places:

• Metro Manila
• Ilocos Region
• Cordillera Administrative Region
• Batanes
• Babuyan Islands
• Zambales
• Bataan
• Tarlac
• Pampanga
• Bulacan
• Cavite
• Batangas
• Occidental Mindoro
• Northern portion of Palawan (including Calamian and Kalayaan Islands).

Meanwhile, raising Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 over Batanes and Babuyan Islands "remains a possibility" amid the "uncertainty" of the storm's track, the weather agency said.

Fabian can further intensify and reach its peak on Friday.

"Gradual weakening may occur beginning on Saturday due to frictional effects of the rugged terrain of Taiwan," the weather bureau added.