Leon weakens into typhoon; Batanes under Signal No. 3

Batanes is now under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 3 as Tropical Cyclone Leon was downgraded into a typhoon late Thursday morning, state weather bureau PAGASA said.

In its 11 a.m. bulletin, PAGASA said TCWS No. 2 is raised over Babuyan Islands while TCWS No. 1 is hoisted over the following areas in Luzon:

• Mainland Cagayan
• Isabela
• Apayao
• Abra
• Kalinga
• Mountain Province
• Ifugao
• the northern portion of Benguet (Mankayan, Bakun, Buguias)
• Ilocos Norte
• Ilocos Sur

PAGASA said Leon was located 155 kilometers north of Itbayat, Batanes and moving northwestward at 25 kilometers per hour (kph) packing maximum sustained winds of 175 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 215 kph.

Leon is expected to make landfall along the eastern coast of Taiwan on Thursday afternoon and may exit the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Thursday evening or early Friday morning.

“LEON is forecast to weaken through the forecast period due to marginally favorable environment and increasing land interaction with Taiwan. Significant weakening is expected during its passage over the mountainous region of Taiwan,” PAGASA said.

NDRRMC report

Leon, which followed Severe Tropical Storm Kristine, prompted several local government units to suspend classes for the day.

Based on the 8 a.m. report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Thursday, 150 people have been reported killed due to the combined effects of Kristine and Leon.

The NDRRMC also said that 29 people were reported missing and 115 were reported injured.

High alert

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has directed concerned national and local government units to be on high alert for the possible effects of Leon, which has reached super typhoon level.

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Undersecretary for Disaster Response Management Group (DMRG) Diana Rose Cajipe said the agency has prepositioned nearly 2,000 family food packs for affected residents of Batanes.

Batanes Governor Marilou Cayco, meanwhile, already confirmed that evacuation efforts are underway for the residents who are affected by Leon. Food packs for the next three days have already been distributed, she said. 

Storms and typhoons are common around the region at this time of year. However, a recent study showed that they are increasingly forming closer to coastlines, intensifying more rapidly and lasting longer over land due to climate change.

About 20 big storms and typhoons hit the Philippines or its surrounding waters each year, damaging homes and infrastructure and killing dozens of people. —KBK, GMA Integrated News