Tropical storm “Quiel” (international name “Nakri”) has intensified into a severe tropical storm while remaining almost stationary over the West Philippine Sea.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration spotted Quiel at 360 kilometers west-northwest of Coron, Palawan before noon yesterday, slowly moving eastward, enabling the tropical cyclone to draw more fuel from the sea.
Quiel has maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 115 kph.
It could further intensify into a typhoon, with maximum wind speed of 118 to 220 kph, within 48 hours. However, it remains less likely to make landfall in any part of the Philippines.
PAGASA advised that aside from the trough or extension of Quiel, the tail-end of cold front and localized thunderstorms may trigger flash floods or landslides during the occurrence of severe thunderstorm activities in the entire country.
PAGASA said light to moderate with occasional heavy rains may affect Cagayan, including Babuyan Islands and Apayao, between yesterday and this morning.
Light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains will affect Kalinga, Apayao, Ilocos Norte, Zambales, Bataan, Palawan, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Antique, Iloilo, and Guimaras.
Metro Manila and the rest of the country may experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers due to localized thunderstorms.
Sea travel remains risky, especially for small sea vessels, over the northern and western seaboards of Luzon due to rough sea conditions triggered by Quiel and the tail-end of cold front.
Two persons were killed while thousands of people were affected by severe flooding in eight towns of Cagayan due to the heavy rains spawned by Quiel.
Rogie Sending, public information officer of the Cagayan provincial government, said the two fatalities died due to drowning and in a landslide that occurred in Claveria.
Based on the report of the local Office of Civil Defense, the two victims were 10-year old Eljhay Dallego, who drowned during a flashflood that hit their barangay; and 36-year-old Augusto Achagan. (Ellalyn Ruiz with a report from Aaron Recuenco)