Tropical cyclone Carina has intensified into a tropical storm, state weather bureau PAGASA said Saturday afternoon.

The center of Carina was last sighted 630 kilometers east of Casiguran, Aurora, as of 4 p.m., PAGASA said.

It was packing maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometer per hour near the center with gusts of up to 80kph.

It continues to move west-northwestward at 15 kph, bringing strong to gale-force winds that extend outwards up to 250 km from the center.

PAGASA said Carina is expected to move generally northwestward until Monday while gradually decelerating.

It may intensify and become a severe tropical storm by Monday.

However, it has an offshore path over the next five days and will likely remain far from the Philippine landmass, according to the weather bureau.

Although PAGASA is not expecting heavy rainfall from Carina, it noted that the southwest monsoon that will be enhanced by Carina together with a tropical depression (formerly Butchoy) will bring moderate to heavy rains over the western portion of Luzon over the next three days.

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