(PAGASA satellite image)
Tropical Storm Surigae has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility and was assigned the local name Queenie, PAGASA said in its 11 a.m. bulletin Thursday.
Queenie was packing maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 90 kph. No tropical cyclone wind signal has been raised over any part of the country.
The storm was last located 1,310 kilometers east of Northern Luzon and was moving west-northwest at 35 kph.
PAGASA said Queenie’s outer circulation and trough may bring strong to gale-force gusts over Batanes, the Babuyan Islands and Ilocos Norte.
Slight to moderate seas are also expected over the coastal waters of Northern Luzon. Operators of motor bancas and similarly sized vessels were advised to take precautionary measures before heading out to sea.
Queenie is forecast to gradually intensify and may reach typhoon category by Sunday.
The storm is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Tuesday.
