MANILA, Philippines – The weather bureau placed Batanes under Signal No. 4 early Wednesday afternoon, October 30, as Super Typhoon Leon (Kong-rey) moved closer to the province.

As of 1 pm on Wednesday, Leon was already 310 kilometers east of Calayan, Cagayan. It is moving northwest toward the Batanes area at a slightly faster 15 kilometers per hour from 10 km/h.

The super typhoon still has maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h and gustiness of up to 230 km/h.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its 2 pm bulletin that Leon is still expected to make landfall along Taiwan’s eastern coast on Thursday afternoon, October 31. Taiwan is within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

But PAGASA is still not ruling out landfall in Batanes. Leon will be closest to the province from late Wednesday evening to Thursday morning.

“This super typhoon will be near or at peak intensity during its closest point of approach to Batanes,” the weather bureau said.

After hitting Taiwan, Leon will start to weaken.

Here are the areas under tropical cyclone wind signals as of 2 pm on Wednesday:

Signal No. 4

Typhoon-force winds (118 to 184 km/h), significant to severe threat to life and property

• Batanes

Signal No. 3

Storm-force winds (89 to 117 km/h), moderate to significant threat to life and property

• eastern part of Babuyan Islands (Babuyan Island, Camiguin Island, Calayan Island)
• northeastern part of mainland Cagayan (Santa Ana)

Signal No. 2

Gale-force winds (62 to 88 km/h), minor to moderate threat to life and property

• rest of Babuyan Islands
• rest of mainland Cagayan
• northern and eastern parts of Isabela (Santo Tomas, Santa Maria, Quezon, San Mariano, Naguilian, Dinapigue, Delfin Albano, San Pablo, Ilagan City, Benito Soliven, Tumauini, Cabagan, Palanan, Quirino, Divilacan, Gamu, Mallig, Maconacon, Burgos, Cauayan City, San Guillermo, Angadanan, Cabatuan, Luna, Reina Mercedes, Roxas, Aurora, San Manuel)
• Apayao
• Kalinga
• northern and eastern parts of Abra (Tineg, Lacub, Malibcong, Lagayan, San Juan, Lagangilang, Licuan-Baay, Daguioman)
• eastern part of Mountain Province (Paracelis)
• Ilocos Norte

Signal No. 1

Strong winds (39 to 61 km/h), minimal to minor threat to life and property

• rest of Isabela
• Quirino
• Nueva Vizcaya
• rest of Mountain Province
• Ifugao
• Benguet
• rest of Abra
• Ilocos Sur
• La Union
• Pangasinan
• Nueva Ecija
• Aurora
• northeastern part of Tarlac (Camiling, San Clemente, Paniqui, Moncada, Anao, San Manuel, Pura, Ramos, Victoria, Gerona, Santa Ignacia, Tarlac City, La Paz)
• northern part of Bulacan (Doña Remedios Trinidad, San Miguel)
• northern part of Quezon (Infanta, General Nakar) including Polillo Islands
• Camarines Norte
• northern part of Camarines Sur (Siruma, Tinambac, Lagonoy, Garchitorena, Caramoan)
• northern and eastern parts of Catanduanes (Pandan, Gigmoto, Bagamanoc, Panganiban, Viga, Baras, Caramoran)

PAGASA is not ruling out the raising of Signal No. 5 if the super typhoon “moves to the left of its forecast track.”

“The wind flow coming towards the circulation of Leon” is bringing strong to gale-force gusts to localities outside wind signal areas, too:

Wednesday, October 30

• Bataan, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, most of Visayas, Dinagat Islands

Thursday, October 31

• most of Cordillera Administrative Region, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Aurora, Bataan, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Northern Samar, most of Western Visayas

Friday, November 1

• Batanes, Babuyan Islands

Aside from bringing fierce winds, Leon will continue to trigger moderate to torrential rain, which may cause floods and landslides. Below is PAGASA’s updated rainfall outlook as of 2 pm on Wednesday.

Wednesday afternoon, October 30, to Thursday afternoon, October 31

• Intense to torrential rain (more than 200 millimeters): Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
• Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Apayao, Abra, Isabela, Occidental Mindoro, Calamian Islands, Antique
• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Kalinga, Benguet, Mountain Province, La Union, Pangasinan, Negros Occidental

Thursday afternoon, October 31, to Friday afternoon, November 1

• Intense to torrential rain (more than 200 mm): Batanes
• Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Babuyan Islands
• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): mainland Cagayan, Occidental Mindoro, Ilocos Norte, Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, Calamian Islands

Friday afternoon, November 1, to Saturday afternoon, November 2

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

In addition, PAGASA warned Batanes and Babuyan Islands that they face a moderate to high risk of “life-threatening” coastal flooding due to storm surges “with peak heights exceeding 3 meters above normal tide levels” in the next 48 hours.

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

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

• Seaboard of Batanes – waves up to 14 meters high
• Seaboard of Babuyan Islands – waves up to 10 meters high
• Seaboard of northeastern mainland Cagayan – waves up to 8 meters high
• Seaboard of Isabela; remaining seaboard of mainland Cagayan – waves up to 6 meters high
• Northern seaboard of Ilocos Norte – waves up to 5 meters high
• Seaboard of northern Aurora; remaining seaboard of Ilocos Norte – waves up to 4.5 meters high

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

• Northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands; seaboards of Ilocos Sur and Camarines Norte; northern seaboard of Camarines Sur; northern seaboard of Catanduanes – waves up to 4 meters high
• Seaboard of Ilocos Sur; remaining seaboard of Aurora – waves up to 3.5 meters high
• Eastern seaboards of mainland Quezon, Catanduanes, Albay, and Sorsogon; northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Samar; remaining seaboards of Ilocos Region; western seaboard of Zambales; seaboard of Kalayaan Islands – waves up to 3 meters high

Up to moderate seas (small vessels should take precautionary measures or avoid sailing, if possible)

• Western seaboards of Bataan, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Islands, northern mainland Palawan, and Calamian Islands; eastern seaboard of Eastern Samar – waves up to 2.5 meters high
• Remaining seaboards of Luzon; seaboards of Aklan and Capiz; eastern seaboard of Dinagat Islands – waves up to 2 meters high

After crossing Taiwan, Leon is expected to head for the East China Sea and exit PAR on Thursday evening or early Friday morning, November 1.

PAGASA said another landfall in mainland China is not being ruled out.

Leon is the Philippines’ 12th tropical cyclone for 2024, and the second for October. – Rappler.com