MANILA, Philippines – The weather bureau urged the public to prepare for Tropical Storm Marce (Yinxing), yet another tropical cyclone threatening Luzon.
Marce slightly strengthened over the Philippine Sea on Monday morning, November 4, with its maximum sustained winds increasing from 65 kilometers per hour to 75 km/h. Its gustiness is now up to 90 km/h from 80 km/h.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reiterated in a press conference past 11 am on Monday that rapid intensification is likely. Marce could strengthen into a severe tropical storm by Tuesday morning, November 5, and into a typhoon by Tuesday evening or early Wednesday morning, November 6.
As of 10 am on Monday, the tropical storm was located 775 kilometers east of Borongan City, Eastern Samar. It accelerated, moving west northwest at a faster 35 km/h from the previous 25 km/h.
PAGASA earlier said Marce’s trough or extension may already cause isolated rain showers or thunderstorms in Eastern Visayas, Bicol, most of Cagayan Valley, Aurora, and Quezon on Monday. Thunderstorms can be severe.
Marce may also enhance the northeasterly windflow during the week, and this might bring more rain — along with the trough of the tropical storm — to extreme Northern Luzon and the eastern part of Luzon starting Monday or Tuesday.
As Marce moves closer to Northern Luzon, heavy rainfall advisories are expected to be issued in the coming days.
For winds, PAGASA still expects to raise Signal No. 1 for parts of Cagayan by Tuesday. 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:
Monday, November 4
- Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Isabela, Ilocos Norte, Aurora, northern part of Quezon
Tuesday, November 5
- Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Isabela, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Aurora, Quezon, Camarines Norte
Wednesday, November 6
- Ilocos Region, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes
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PAGASA explained that Marce’s track is being influenced by a high pressure area above it.
The tropical cyclone is currently seen to move generally west northwest from Monday to Tuesday, “before turning westward at a slow pace over the Philippine Sea east of extreme Northern Luzon.”
It could make landfall in Babuyan Islands or mainland northern Cagayan on Thursday evening, November 7, or early Friday morning, November 8.
But the weather bureau said Marce’s track may still change “due to the uncertainty in the strength of the high pressure area” north of the tropical storm. If this happens, its landfall could be in the mainland Cagayan-Isabela area.
Juanito Galang, officer-in-charge of PAGASA’s Office of the Deputy Administrator for Operations and Services, called on everyone to be vigilant and ready for Marce.
“Nais ko pong bigyang-diin na kahandaan po ang ating pinakamabisang depensa talaga…. Hinihikayat po namin ang lahat na manatiling nakaantabay sa mga regular na update ng PAGASA at sundin ang mga abiso po mula sa mga lokal na awtoridad. Ang paghahanda po ay hindi lamang ito tungkulin ng ating gobyerno; ito po ay pananagutan nating lahat,” Galang said in Monday’s press conference.
(I would like to emphasize that preparedness is the most effective form of defense. We encourage everyone to keep monitoring PAGASA’s regular updates and to follow the instructions of local authorities. Disaster preparedness is not just the responsibility of our government; it is everyone’s responsibility.)
The last three tropical cyclones before Marce — Super Typhoon Julian (Krathon), Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (Trami), and Super Typhoon Leon (Kong-rey) — all affected Luzon. Both Julian and Leon did not make landfall in the Philippines, but passed close to extreme Northern Luzon, while Kristine made landfall in Isabela.
For coastal waters, moderate to rough seas are expected in the next 24 hours:
Up to rough seas (small vessels should not venture out to sea)
- Seaboards of Batanes – waves up to 3.5 meters high
- Seaboards of Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Norte, and Ilocos Sur – waves up to 3 meters high
Up to moderate seas (small vessels should take precautionary measures or avoid sailing, if possible)
- Seaboards of mainland Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, and northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands – waves up to 2.5 meters high
- Remaining seaboards of Ilocos Region; seaboards of northern Quezon and Camarines Norte; northern and eastern seaboards of Catanduanes; eastern seaboards of Albay, Sorsogon, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar – waves up to 2 meters high
Marce is the Philippines’ 13th tropical cyclone for 2024, and the first for November.
PAGASA previously estimated that one or two tropical cyclones could form within or enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility in November. – Rappler.com