MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine weather service said Friday it expects two to three more typhoons to enter the country before the year ends.

Nathaniel Cruz, weather services chief at the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a phone interview that around four typhoons usually hit the country during the last two months of the year.

“Since Quinta has already passed we expect three or four more typhoons,” he said.

Meanwhile, Cruz also said Storm Quinta was still within the country’s area of responsibility as of Friday afternoon. But he expected the weather disturbance to move out of the country by Friday night.

Cruz also said weather men were watching a shallow low pressure area forming around 440 kilometers east of Mindanao.

“There is a possibility that this formation can develop into a tropical depression. As long as it is over sea, there is a big chance for that,” Cruz said.

According to an update from PAGASA issued at 11:00 a.m. Friday, Quinta had intensified into a storm as it continued to move away from the country.

Its center was spotted 250 kilometers northwest of Coron, Palawan, packing maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour near the center with gustiness of up to 80 kilometers per hour.

It was moving west-northwest at 22 kilometers per hour. By Saturday morning, PAGASA said the storm would be around 720 kilometers west-northwest of Coron.

PAGASA has lowered all public storm signals all over the country.