PAGASA: 'Quiel' intensifies as it moves closer to PHL

Tropical storm "Quiel" (international name: Nalgae) intensified slightly as it moved westward before noon on Thursday, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said. In its 11 a.m. advisory, PAGASA said "Quiel" was estimated at 1,150 kilometers (km) east of Aparri, Cagayan as of 10:00 a.m. on Thursday. "Quiel" packed maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 140 kph, and is forecast to move west at 13 kph. It estimated 15 to 25 millimeter per hour of rainfall within the 300-km diameter of "Quiel." PAGASA estimated the location of "Quiel" east of Aparri, Cagayan on the next three days: Friday — 870 km (east of Aparri) Saturday — 560 km (east of Aparri) Sunday — 260 km (east of Aparri) As of Thursday, PAGASA said "Quiel" is still too far to affect any part of the country. Meanwhile, PAGASA forecaster Sonny Pajarilla said "Quiel" will likely affect the Cagayan area and Northern Luzon. "Una niyang tatamaan ang Hilagang Luzon at northern islands, ang Calayan, Babuyan. Yan ang tinutumbok sa kasalukuyan," he said in an interview over radio dzBB. - VVP, GMA News