Typhoon Marce continues to intensify east of Isabela

MANILA, Philippines – Typhoon Marce (Yinxing) continued to strengthen while over the Philippine Sea east of Isabela on Tuesday afternoon, November 5.

Marce’s maximum sustained winds increased from 120 kilometers per hour to 130 km/h, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in its 5 pm bulletin on Tuesday. The typhoon’s gustiness is now up to 160 km/h from 150 km/h.

As of 4 pm, Marce was last spotted 480 kilometers east of Echague, Isabela, moving northwest at 25 km/h — slightly slower than its previous speed of 30 km/h.

The typhoon is still expected to move generally west northwest until Wednesday, November 6, before slowing down and turning west over the Philippine Sea east of extreme Northern Luzon.

It is currently projected to make landfall in Babuyan Islands or the northern part of mainland Cagayan — or just pass close to these areas — on Thursday afternoon or evening, November 7.

Before hitting land, Marce may reach its peak intensity.

The same Northern Luzon provinces are covered by PAGASA’s three-day rainfall outlook for Marce as of 5 pm on Tuesday. The weather bureau reiterated that floods and landslides are likely.

Tuesday afternoon, November 5, to Wednesday afternoon, November 6

• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 millimeters): Cagayan

Wednesday afternoon, November 6, to Thursday afternoon, November 7

• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Batanes, Cagayan, Apayao

Thursday afternoon, November 7, to Friday afternoon, November 8

• 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

For the rest of Tuesday, Marce may also trigger scattered rain showers and thunderstorms in other parts of Cagayan Valley as well as Aurora, Quezon, and Bicol, along with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms in Eastern Visayas.

The trough or extension of the typhoon could bring scattered rain showers and thunderstorms to Mindanao, too.

Other areas in the country are not affected by Marce or its trough, and may only have localized thunderstorms on Tuesday evening.

Meanwhile, more areas were placed under Signal No. 1 at 5 pm on Tuesday, as strong winds are expected from the typhoon:

• Batanes
• Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
• Ilocos Norte
• Ilocos Sur
• Apayao
• Abra
• Kalinga
• Mountain Province
• Ifugao
• northern part of Benguet (Mankayan, Buguias, Kabayan, Bakun, Kibungan, Atok, Bokod)
• Isabela
• Nueva Vizcaya
• Quirino
• northern part of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, Dipaculao, Baler, Maria Aurora)

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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In the next 24 hours, these are the expected sea conditions:

Up to very rough or high seas (travel is risky for all vessels)

• Seaboards of Batanes, Babuyan Islands, and northeastern mainland Cagayan – waves up to 7 meters high
• Remaining seaboard of mainland Cagayan; northern seaboard of Ilocos Norte – waves up to 6 meters high
• Western seaboard of Ilocos Norte; seaboards of Ilocos Sur and Isabela – waves up to 5 meters high
• Remaining seaboard of Ilocos Region; seaboard of northern Aurora – waves up to 4.5 meters high

Up to rough seas (small vessels should not venture out to sea)

• Remaining seaboard of Aurora; northern and eastern seaboard of Polillo Islands – waves up to 3.5 meters high
• Seaboard of Camarines Norte; northern seaboard of Camarines Sur; northern and eastern seaboards of Catanduanes; western seaboard of Zambales – 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, Sorsogon, and Eastern Samar; northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Samar – waves up to 2.5 meters high
• Western seaboards of Bataan, Lubang Islands, Kalayaan Islands, Calamian Islands, and northern mainland Palawan; eastern seaboards of Camarines Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Sur, and Davao Oriental – 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 afternoon or evening, November 8.

PAGASA previously estimated that one or two tropical cyclones could form within or enter PAR in November. – Rappler.com