Quiel now a severe tropical storm —PAGASA

The weather disturbance inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, Quiel, has intensified into a severe tropical storm, according to state weather bureau PAGASA on Thursday.

Based on its 11 a.m. bulletin, light to moderate to occasionally heavy rain is expected over Cagayan including Babuyan Islands and Apayao until Friday morning.

Kalinga, Apayao, Ilocos Norte, Zambales, Bataan, Palawan, Mindoro provinces, Antique, Iloilo and Guimaras may also experience light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains.

PAGASA said Quiel is less likely to make landfall but it warned the residents of the aforementioned areas to take precautionary measures for possible floods and landslides.

Sea travel is also risky over the northern and western seaboards of Luzon due to rough sea conditions, it added.

As of 10 a.m., Quiel was located 360 kilometers west-northwest of Coron, Palawan.

It has maximum sustained winds of up to 95 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 115 kph.

Quiel is moving east slowly and is expected to exit the PAR on Saturday morning. It is projected to have intensified into a typhoon by then.

Another tropical cyclone outside PAR, Typhoon Halong, is being monitored by the weather bureau.

It was spotted 3,030 kilometers east of Extreme Northern Luzon and is not expected to enter the PAR. —KBK, GMA News