Pagasa sees rain showers, thunderstorms in Palawan, Mindoro due to ‘Quiel’

MANILA, Philippines – Western Visayas, Palawan, and the Mindoro provinces will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms due to severe tropical storm Quiel (international name: Nakri), the weather bureau said in its 4:00 a.m. Friday forecast.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Quiel was last spotted 3:00 a.m. 380 kilometers west-northwest of Coron, Palawan.

It was packing maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 135 kph.

It was also moving west southwest at a slow pace.

Pagasa weather specialist Ezra Bulquerin said that based on its track, the weather system could possibly intensify within 24 hours and exit the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR).

“Pero kahit nasa labas na po ito ng PAR makakaranas pa rin po ng pag-ulan dito sa area ng Palawan (Even if it exits PAR, it would still bring rains over the Palawan area),” Bulquerin said.

Ilocos Norte, Apayao, and Cagayan, and the rest of Luzon, meanwhile will experience cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms due to the tail end of a cold front.

Localized thunderstorms will bring partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers over Metro Manila and the rest of the country.

Pagasa is also monitoring active tropical cyclone Halong outside PAR.

At 3:00 a.m., it was spotted 3,140 kilometers east northeast of extreme northern Luzon and was moving at 15 kph.

It was packing maximum sustained winds of 130 kph. near the center and gustiness of up to 160 kph. /gsg