THE tropical depression west southwest of Iba, Zambales has entered the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) and was named "Quiel."
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Quiel may intensify into a tropical storm within 24 hours, but it is less likely to make landfall in any part of the country.
As of 3 p.m., the center of Quiel was located at 560 kilometers west of Subic, Zambales. It was moving east slowly with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (km/h) near its center and gusts of up to 70 km/h.
Pagasa said that between Tuesday and Wednesday, November 6, Quiel will bring moderate to occasional heavy rains over Northern Luzon, Zambales, and Bataan. Scattered rain showers and thunderstorms may prevail over Mindoro provinces and Palawan.
The weather bureau has warned residents living in flood-prone or landslide-prone areas to take precautionary measures, coordinate with local disaster risk reduction and management offices, and continue monitoring for updates.
It added that sea travel is risky, especially for small sea vessels, over the northern and western seaboards of Northern Luzon and the western seaboard of Southern Luzon due to potentially rough sea conditions.
Cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms will be experienced over Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley Region, Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Caraga, and Davao Region.
Metro Manila and the rest of the country will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers, Pagasa said.
Meanwhile, Pagasa is also monitoring an active tropical cyclone outside the PAR.
It said that at 10 a.m. Tuesday, November 5, the eye of Typhoon Halong was located at 3,110 kilometers east of extreme northern Luzon with maximum sustained winds of 155 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 190 km/h.
Halong is moving northwest at 10 km/h and less likely to enter the PAR, added Pagasa. (EZN)