SEVERE Tropical Storm Queenie (Surigae) maintained its strength Saturday afternoon, September 26, 2026, as it moved northward over the sea east of Taiwan, the state weather bureau said.
In its 5 p.m. bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Queenie was located 605 kilometers east-northeast of Itbayat, Batanes as of 4 p.m.
Queenie packed maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour (km/h) near the center, gustiness of up to 135 km/h and a central pressure of 985 hectopascals.
It was moving northward at 15 km/h, with strong to storm-force winds extending up to 300 kilometers from its center.
No Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal was raised in any part of the country.
Pagasa said Queenie is unlikely to directly affect the Philippines throughout the forecast period.
The tropical cyclone is expected to slow down while moving northward over the next 12 hours before turning north-northeastward by Sunday afternoon, September 27.
Based on its forecast track, Queenie is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) between Sunday afternoon and evening before accelerating northeastward toward the sea south of mainland Japan.
Pagasa said Queenie could intensify into a typhoon Saturday night or early Sunday morning and strengthen further while moving over the sea south of the Okinawa Islands.
After reaching its peak intensity, the tropical cyclone is forecast to begin weakening by Monday, September 28.
Meanwhile, waves of up to two meters are expected over the seaboards of Isabela, the northern seaboard of Batanes and the eastern seaboard of Davao Oriental within the next 24 hours.
Mariners using motorbancas and similarly sized vessels were advised to take precautionary measures and, if possible, avoid sailing under these conditions.
Other coastal waters in the country are expected to have wave heights below two meters.
Pagasa advised the public and disaster risk reduction and management offices to continue monitoring official weather advisories. (SunStar Cebu)