Tropical Storm ''Pilandok'' is less likely to make landfall over the country until it leaves the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Thursday morning, the state weather bureau reported on Tuesday.

'''Pilandok'' with maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph was last spotted at 1,015 km east of extreme northern Luzon while moving north northwestward at the speed of 10 kph.

According to the state weather bureau, "Pilandok'' is forecast to remain as a tropical storm as it moves towards southern Japan."

There is no tropical cyclone wind signal raised because of ''Pilandok''.

However, the southwest monsoon is expected to bring 50 to 100 mm amount of rain over Batanes, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and Zambales until Wednesday afternoon while Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Abra, Benguet, Zambales, Bataan and Occidental Mindoro will have the same level of rainfall until Thursday.

Occidental Mindoro may also experience 100 to 200 millimeters rainfall from Thursday to Friday while Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Cavite, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro and Antique will have 50 to 100 millimeters of rain within the same period. Robina Asido/PHS