PAGASA: Leon may make landfall in Batanes

Super Typhoon Leon (international name: Kong-Rey) may make landfall over Batanes as it advances closer to the province, PAGASA said late Wednesday afternoon.

In its 5.p.m bulletin, the state weather bureau said Batanes may see winds of greater than 118 km/h up to 184 km/h in at least 12 hours, which could be “very destructive to the community.”

Batanes is under Signal No. 4 while two areas are under Signal No. 3:

• The eastern portion of Babuyan Islands (Babuyan Is., Camiguin Is., Calayan Is.,),
• the northeastern portion of mainland Cagayan (Santa Ana)

Signal No. 2 is hoisted over the following areas:

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

Signal No. 1 was raised over the following areas:

• The rest of Isabela
• Quirino
• Nueva Vizcaya
• the rest of Mountain Province
• Ifugao, Benguet
• the rest of Abra
• Ilocos Sur
• La Union
• Pangasinan
• Nueva Ecija
• Aurora
• the northeastern portion of Tarlac (Camiling, San Clemente, Paniqui, Moncada, Anao, San Manuel, Pura, Ramos, Victoria, Gerona, Santa Ignacia, City of Tarlac, La Paz)

At 4 p.m., Leon was observed at 215 km east southeast of Basco, Batanes, with maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h and gustiness of up to 230 km/h. It was moving northwestward at 20 km/h.

The state weather burea said strong to gale-force gusts would occur over most of the Cordillera Administrative Region, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Aurora, Bataan, Metro Manila, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, Northern Samar, and most of Western Visayas on Thursday.

PAGASA warned of moderate to high risk of life-threatening coastal flooding due to storm surge with peak heights exceeding 3.0 m above normal tide levels over the low-lying or exposed coastal localities of Batanes and Babuyan Islands in the next 48 hours.

A gale warning was also hoisted over the seaboard of Northern Luzon and the eastern seaboards of Central and Southern Luzon.

According to the state weather bureau, Leon will be closest to Batanes from late evening today to tomorrow morning. 

"A landfall in Batanes is also not ruled out," PAGASA said.

"This super typhoon will be near or at peak intensity during its closest point of approach to Batanes. The landfall of Leon over Taiwan will result in a continuous weakening trend for the rest of the forecast period," it added.

The typhoon is forecast to move northwestward over the Philippine Sea until it makes landfall along the eastern coast of Taiwan on Thursday afternoon.

Leon is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Thursday evening or early Friday morning.

Thousands of residents in several Luzon provinces have fled their homes as Leon continued to bring rains and strong winds, according to to GMA Integrated News’ Unang Hirit on Wednesday.

In Tuguegarao City in Cagayan, some residents who were about to return to their homes after Severe Tropical Storm Kristine left the country decided to stay in evacuation centers due to Leon’s threat.

In Occidental Mindoro, travelers are already rushing to seaports as trips amid the possible threat from Leon in the coming days.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office is monitoring the situation and tents are already set up for possible evacuees. — BM, GMA Integrated News