MANILA, Philippines – Marce (Yinxing) intensified from a severe tropical storm into a typhoon on Tuesday morning, November 5, and is expected to continue gaining strength before it hits land.
Marce now has maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour from the previous 110 km/h, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in a bulletin released at 11 am on Tuesday. Its gustiness is now up to 150 km/h from 135 km/h.
As of 10 am, Marce was located 590 kilometers east of Baler, Aurora, moving west northwest at a faster 30 km/h from 25 km/h.
The typhoon is bringing moderate to heavy rain only to the province of Cagayan on Tuesday, but more areas in Luzon are expected to be affected by rainfall in the next few days.
Tuesday, November 5
- Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 millimeters): Cagayan
Wednesday, November 6
- Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Batanes, Cagayan, Apayao
Thursday, November 7
- Intense to torrential rain (more than 200 mm): Cagayan
- Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Apayao, Ilocos Norte, Batanes
- Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Isabela, Abra, Ilocos Sur, Kalinga, Mountain Province
In anticipation of strong winds from Marce, PAGASA raised Signal No. 1 for more areas at 11 am on Tuesday. Here is the full list:
- Batanes
- Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
- Isabela
- Ilocos Norte
- Apayao
- Abra
- Kalinga
- Mountain Province
- Ifugao
- northern part of Nueva Vizcaya (Diadi, Bagabag, Ambaguio, Villaverde, Bayombong, Solano, Quezon, Kasibu)
- northern part of Quirino (Diffun, Saguday, Cabarroguis, Aglipay, Maddela)
- northern part of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan)
The highest possible wind signal due to Marce is Signal No. 4.
The northeasterly windflow is bringing strong to gale-force gusts to the following areas as well:
Tuesday, November 5
- Ilocos Sur, Aurora, Quezon, Camarines Norte
Wednesday, November 6
- Ilocos Region, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes
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Marce is seen to move generally west northwest until Wednesday morning, November 6, before slowing down and turning west over the Philippine Sea east of extreme Northern Luzon. This slowdown over the sea, which may last a couple of days, means the typhoon could dump more rain while lingering east of Northern Luzon.
PAGASA added that Marce may reach its peak intensity before hitting land. It could make landfall in Babuyan Islands or the northern part of mainland Cagayan on Thursday evening, November 7, or early Friday morning, November 8.
But the weather bureau maintained that the typhoon’s track may still change “due to uncertainty in the strength of the high pressure area” located above it, which is influencing its movement.
Landfall could be in the mainland Cagayan-Isabela area if Marce’s track shifts further downward.
As the typhoon approaches Northern Luzon, conditions in affected seaboards will worsen in the next 24 hours.
Up to high seas (travel is risky for all vessels)
- Seaboards of Batanes and Babuyan Islands; eastern seaboard of mainland Cagayan – waves up to 6 meters high
Up to very rough seas (travel is risky for all vessels)
- Seaboard of Isabela – waves up to 5.5 meters high
- Northern seaboards of Ilocos Norte and mainland Cagayan – waves up to 5 meters high
- Western seaboard of Ilocos Norte – waves up to 4.5 meters high
Up to rough seas (small vessels should not venture out to sea)
- Seaboards of northern Aurora and Ilocos Sur – waves up to 4 meters high
- Remaining seaboard of Ilocos Region; northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands; seaboard of Camarines Norte; northern seaboards of Catanduanes and Camarines Sur – waves up to 3.5 meters high
- Western seaboard of Zambales; eastern seaboard of Catanduanes – waves up to 3 meters high
Up to moderate seas (small vessels should take precautionary measures or avoid sailing, if possible)
- Eastern seaboards of Albay and Sorsogon; northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Samar – waves up to 2.5 meters high
- Eastern seaboards of Camarines Sur, Eastern Samar, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental, and Davao del Sur; western seaboards of Bataan, Lubang Islands, Calamian Islands, Kalayaan Islands, and northern mainland Palawan – waves up to 2 meters high
Marce is the Philippines’ 13th tropical cyclone for 2024, and the first for November. It could leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Friday evening or early Saturday morning, November 9.
PAGASA previously estimated that one or two tropical cyclones could form within or enter PAR in November. – Rappler.com
