Quiel expects landfall over Cagayan, Isabela Saturday dawn

MTSAT-EIR Satellite Image for 5 a.m., 01 October 2011

MANILA, Philippines—Quiel (international name: Nalgae) has gained more strength and still moving west toward Tuguegarao according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Friday afternoon.

As of 11 p.m. Friday, Quiel was spotted 340 kilometers east of Tuguegarao city with stronger maximum winds of 150 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 185 kilometers per hour, Pagasa said in its bulletin.

Quiel has maintained its speed to 26 kilometers per hour moving westward and is expected to make landfall over the Cagayan-Isabela area Saturday early morning.

The diameter of Quiel stayed at 500 kilometers and was estimated to bring 15-25 millimeters of rainfall.

Public Storm Warning Signal no. 3 has been raised in Cagayan, Isabela, Northern Aurora, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Kalinga, Apayao and Abra.

Meanwhile, Signal no. 2 was raised in the rest of Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Benguet, La Union, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Calayan and Babuyan Group of Islands.

Signal no. 1 has been raised in Northern Quezon (including Polilio Island), Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales and Batanes.

The southwest monsoon was not expected to cause rains until Saturday afternoon when Quiel will have passed the island of Luzon.

Quiel was estimated to leave Luzon through Ilocos Sur by Saturday evening, and leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Sunday.