Gardo enters Philippine area, intensifies, Francisco exits

A new tropical cyclone entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Thursday, June 25, as another storm that had affected parts of Northern Luzon moved away from the country. The system, given the local name Gardo, entered the monitoring area at 3 p.m. as a tropical storm and later intensified into a severe tropical storm.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, Gardo is the seventh tropical cyclone for the country in 2026 and the third for the month of June. As of 10 p.m. Thursday, it was located approximately 1,275 kilometers east of extreme Northern Luzon, moving north northwest. The state weather bureau said the storm will remain far from the Philippine landmass and is forecast to exit the area of responsibility by Friday morning or afternoon, June 26. No rainfall or wind warnings have been issued for Gardo, and it is not expected to affect the country's weather.

Meanwhile, Severe Tropical Storm Francisco, which carried the international name Mekkhala, exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility at 7 p.m. on Thursday. At its peak, Francisco was a super typhoon but weakened significantly and did not make landfall in...