MANILA, Philippines - More areas in Visayas and Luzon were placed under storm alert after tropical storm "Quinta" made landfall on Tuesday night.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the storm slightly weakened after it made landfall over Leyte.
As of 8:00 a.m., the center of the storm was estimated at 40 kilometers east of Roxas City in Capiz province.
'Quinta' was packing maximum winds of 65 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph. It was moving west at a speed of 20 kph.
Public storm warning signal number 2 was raised over Sorsogon, Masbate, Ticao Island, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Western Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Biliran, Bohol, Cebu, Camotes Island,
the northern part of Negros Occidental and Dinagat Province.
Storm warning signal number 1 is raised over Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Albay, Cuyo Island, Burias Island, Romblon, Aklan, Capiz, Antique, Iloilo, Guimaras, the rest of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Camiguin, Surigao del Norte and Siargao.
The storm was expected to exit land and move close to Palawan by Thursday morning and leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Friday.
PAGASA said that the storm will bring an estimated rainfall amount of 10 to 20 millimeters per hour or heavy to intense rains within its 350 kilometer diameter.
Residents living in low lying and mountainous areas under storm alerts have been alerted against possible flashfloods and landslides.
Small boats were also advised to avoid the seaboards of Luzon and Visayas and the northern seaboard of Mindanao.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has placed all its units in the affected under red alert.
The storm came three weeks after Typhoon "Pablo" devastated Mindanao and some parts of Visayas and Luzon, leaving hundreds dead and thousands displaced.
As of December 25, the NDRRMC has counted a total of 1,067 fatalities from 'Pablo' and 834 more remained missing.