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MANILA, Philippines – Severe Tropical Storm Quiel (Nakri) finally began to move away from the Philippines on Friday morning, November 8, after being almost stationary.

In a briefing past 11 am on Friday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Quiel is now 430 kilometers west of Coron, Palawan, still over the West Philippine Sea.

It was hardly moving on Thursday, November 7, but is now inching southwest at 10 kilometers per hour (km/h).

Quiel continues to have maximum winds of 110 km/h and gustiness of up to 135 km/h. But it could intensify into a typhoon within 24 hours. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

Since Quiel is already moving away from landmass, PAGASA reiterated that landfall is even more unlikely. There are also no areas under tropical cyclone wind signals.

But Quiel and the tail-end of a cold front will still bring rain to some areas in Luzon and the Visayas. Below is the latest on the expected rainfall on Friday until Saturday morning, November 9.

Moderate rain with occasionally heavy rain

• Cagayan, including Babuyan Group of Islands
• Apayao
• Ilocos Norte

Light to moderate rain with intermittent heavy rain

• Occidental Mindoro
• Oriental Mindoro
• Palawan
• Western Visayas

Residents of those areas must continue to watch out for possible flash floods and landslides.

Travel also remains risky, especially for small vessels, in the northern and western seaboards of Luzon.

Based on Quiel’s latest forecast track, it might leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) either on Friday night or Saturday morning.

Quiel is the Philippines’ 17th tropical cyclone for 2019, and the 1st in November. (READ: LIST: PAGASA’s names for tropical cyclones in 2019)

Meanwhile, PAGASA continues to monitor Typhoon Halong outside PAR, at 3,310 kilometers east northeast of extreme Northern Luzon.

Halong is moving north northeast at 30 km/h and is still not expected to enter PAR.

The typhoon is weakening further, with maximum winds down to 120 km/h and gustiness of up to 150 km/h.

The country gets an average of 20 tropical cyclones annually, but since 2019 is an El Niño year, only 14 to 18 tropical cyclones are expected.

Below is the estimated number of tropical cyclones for the last two months of 2019:

• November – 1 or 2
• December – 0 or 1

PAGASA declared the start of the rainy season last June 14. – Rappler.com