Signal No. 1 raised over six areas

Severe Tropical Storm Marce Intensifies, Approaching Typhoon Category

Severe Tropical Storm Marce is strengthening and is nearing Typhoon category, according to the latest Tropical Cyclone Bulletin from PAGASA. As of the latest update, Marce’s center is located 735 kilometers east of Baler, Aurora, packing maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour near the center, gustiness of up to 135 km/h, and central pressure of 975 hPa.

PAGASA reports that Marce is moving northwestward at 25 kph, with strong to storm-force winds extending outwards up to 580 km from the center. Due to this potential threat, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 remains hoisted over several areas:

Areas Under Signal No. 1:

• Batanes
• Cagayan, including Babuyan Islands
• Northern and eastern portions of Isabela (Maconacon, San Pablo, Palanan, Dinapigue, Santa Maria, Cabagan, Tumauini, Santo Tomas, Ilagan City, Divilacan, San Mariano)
• Northern portion of Apayao (Santa Marcela, Luna, Calanasan, Flora, Pudtol)
• Northern portion of Ilocos Norte (Pagudpud, Dumalneg, Adams, Bangui, Burgos, Pasuquin, Vintar)

Cagayan province faces moderate to heavy rainfall according to Weather Advisory No. 2 issued by PAGASA. Residents across various regions should prepare for the possibility of flash floods or landslides due to moderate to heavy rains.

Rainfall Outlook:

Cagayan Valley, Apayao, Kalinga, Quezon, and Bicol Region will experience cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms. Eastern Visayas and Aurora will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms. Metro Manila and the rest of the country are expected to see partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms, with a possibility of flash floods or landslides during severe thunderstorms.

Strong Winds:

Strong Winds Expected:

PAGASA anticipates strong to gale-force gusts over Ilocos Sur, Aurora, Quezon, and Camarines Norte (especially in coastal and upland areas exposed to winds.)

Hazards Affecting Coastal Waters:

A Gale Warning is in effect for the northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Luzon. Wind speeds in Northern Luzon and the eastern section of Southern Luzon are expected to be moderate to strong, moving northeastward. Coastal waters in these areas will be moderate to rough. The rest of Luzon will experience moderate to strong winds moving in the northeast to east direction with moderate to rough coastal waters.

Track and Intensity Outlook

According to PAGASA, Marce is forecast to continue moving generally west northwestward today until Wednesday morning, before decelerating and turning westward over the Philippine Sea east of Extreme Northern Luzon. The storm is predicted to make landfall in the vicinity of the Babuyan Islands or the northern portion of mainland Cagayan on Thursday evening or Friday morning.

“Due to uncertainty in the strength of the high-pressure area north of Marce, the forecast track may still change and bring the landfall point to mainland Cagayan-Isabela area. Marce may exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) region on Friday evening or Saturday morning,” said PAGASA.