(UPDATE) Tropical storm Helen has further intensified as it moves closer to Northern Luzon, the weather bureau said

Tuesday afternoon, even as it maintained public storm warning signals over 17 areas. In its 5 p.m. update, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Helen now has maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 100 kph. It was estimated at 230 kilometers east southeast of Tuguegarao City 4 p.m. Tuesday, Pagasa said. Public storm warning signal number two has been raised over the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Apayao, Kalinga, Ilocos Norte and Abra as well as the Batanes, Babuyan and Calayan groups of islands. The provinces of Aurora, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Ifugao, Benguet, Mt. Province, La Union and Ilocos Sur are meanwhile under public storm warning signal number one. Helen is expected to move northwest at 13 kph. Pagasa said it will likely be at 180 kilometers north of Tuguegarao City or 70 kilometers North of Aparri, Cagayan by Wednesday afternoon, and at 380 kilometers northwest of Aparri, Cagayan or 300 kilometers west northwest of Basco, Batanes by Thursday afternoon. "Residents living in low lying and mountainous areas under public storm warning signal number two and one are alerted against possible flashfloods and landslides," Pagasa said. "Likewise, those living in coastal areas under public storm warning number two are alerted against big waves or storm surges generated by this tropical cyclone," it added. Pagasa also advised fishing boats and other small seacrafts not to venture out into the seaboards of Central and Southern Luzon and Visayas. "Tropical storm Helen is expected to enhance the Southwest Monsoon that will bring rains over Luzon and Visayas especially over the western section," the weather bureau said It estimated intense to torrential rainfall within the 500-kilometer diameter of the Tropical Storm. Pagasa also forecast intermittent light to moderate becoming heavy rains over Metro Manila and the provinces of Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Quezon, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Mindoro, Bataan, Zambales, Pangasinan and Tarlac. Meanwhile, the water level in major dams remain critical due to downpour from Helen as well as the southwest monsoon rains last week. Authorities have opened gates in the following dams as of 4 p.m. Tuesday: -Angat dam, three gates at 3 meters each, releasing water at 476 cubic meters per second (cms) -Ipo dam, four gates at 3.3 meters each, 474 cms;

-Ambuklao dam, one gate at 1 meters, 189 cms; -Binga dam, three gates at 2.5 meters each, 380 cms; -San Roque dam, two gates at 1.5 meters each, 474 cms; -Magat dam, two gates at 3 meters each, 794 cms.