Storm Quiel nearing NLuzon, may make landfall during weekend

Tropical Storm Quiel (Nalgae) maintained its strength as it moved closer to Northern Luzon Thursday afternoon, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said. PAGASA forecaster Gladys Saludes said their models show Quiel may make landfall on Saturday or Sunday. "We expect 'Quiel' to make landfall on the Cagayan area Saturday or Sunday," she said in an interview on dzBB radio. Earlier, Science Undersecretary Graciano Yumul Jr. said Quiel may follow the same track as Typhoon Pedring (Nesat), which had devastated Northern Luzon. In its 5 p.m. bulletin, PAGASA said Quiel was estimated at 1,040 km east of Aparri, Cagayan as of 4 p.m., and still moving west at 13 kph. Quiel still had maximum sustained winds of 110 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 145 kph, PAGASA added. Meanwhile, PAGASA said Eastern Visayas and Mindanao will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms. The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms, it added. — LBG, GMA News