Typhoon Queenie slightly speeds up

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Satellite image of Typhoon Queenie (Kong-rey) as of October 2, 2018, 10 pm. Image from NOAA

MANILA, Philippines – Typhoon Queenie (Kong-rey) slightly accelerated late Tuesday evening, October 2, as it continued to move northwest in direction.

In a bulletin issued 11 pm on Tuesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Queenie is now at 1,000 km east of Calayan, Cagayan, moving northwest at 20 kilometers per hour (km/h) from the previous 15 km/h.

The typhoon continues to have maximum sustained winds of 200 km/h and gustiness of up to 245 km/h. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

Forecast track of Typhoon Queenie (Kong-rey) as of October 2, 2018, 11 pm. Image from PAGASA

Queenie's trough will continue to bring light to at times moderate rain over the eastern section of the country.

PAGASA said sea travel remains risky over the northern and eastern seaboards of Luzon due to rough to very rough seas associated with the typhoon.

Queenie is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Friday, October 5.

Earlier on Tuesday, PAGASA weather specialist Gener Quitlong said that if Queenie maintains its current direction, it is not expected to make landfall in the Philippines, and there will be no hoisting of tropical cyclone warning signals in the next days.

But Quitlong said if the direction changes into west northwest and if it maintains this direction for 24 hours, "posible pong magkaroon ng warning signals, lalo na po dito sa dulong hilagang Luzon (it is possible to raise [tropical cyclone] warning signals, especially over parts of extreme Northern Luzon)."

Queenie is the Philippines' 17th tropical cyclone for 2018. The country usually gets an average of 20 tropical cyclones per year. (READ: LIST: PAGASA's names for tropical cyclones in 2018)

For October alone, PAGASA said there could be 2 to 3 tropical cyclones. (READ: LIST: PAGASA's names for tropical cyclones in 2018)

PAGASA declared the start of the rainy season last June 8. – Rappler.com