MANILA, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Typhoon Rammasun maintained its strength toward northern Philippines while a new low-pressure area was spotted off central Philippines early Sunday, said the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

    As of 2 a.m. local time (1800 GMT Saturday), Rammasun was 980 km east of northern Luzon, said PAGASA, which warned residents in southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao to take precautions against landslides and flash floods.

    Rammasun, locally known as Butchoy, was the first major tropical storm to hit the country this year, which is visited by about 20 typhoons each year on average.

    The typhoon packed maximum winds of 185 km per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 220 kph, and was moving north at 20 kph, said PAGASA.

    Meanwhile, a low-pressure area was spotted at 260 km west of Mindoro, central Philippines, said PAGASA without elaborating if it would grow into another typhoon.

    "Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will experience cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms becoming widespread rains over the western sections of Visayas and Mindanao which may trigger flash floods and landslides," it said.

    The rest of Luzon will be partly cloudy to at times cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening, according to PAGASA.