The state weather bureau on Thursday placed more Luzon provinces under storm alert as tropical storm Emong (international codename Chan-hom) intensified into a typhoon.

Weather bureau PAGASA hoisted public storm signal No. 2 over the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Abra, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Benguet, Pangasinan, and Zambales. The provinces of Apayao, Kalinga, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pampanga, and Bataan were placed under Signal No. 1.

As of 5 a.m. "Emong" was spotted 350 kilometers west of Iba town, Zambales province. It was stronger, packing maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 150 kph.

Emong was moving northeast at 17 kph. It was forecast to move near Vigan town in Ilocos Sur on Friday and Tuguegarao City on Saturday morning.

PAGASA warned residents living in low lying and mountainous areas under Signal No. 1 and 2 to be on alert for flashfloods and landslides. Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will experience occasional rains, it added.

Emong entered the country Thursday night, a day after Typhoon "Dante" left the country with 27 people dead and eight missing.

The Department of Agriculture said early storms this year have made the department miss its targeted rice harvest.