Marce slightly intensifies, Signal No. 1 raised over five areas

Severe Tropical Storm Marce (international name: Yinxing) slightly intensified and is nearing typhoon category while five areas remained under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 on Tuesday, according to the latest Tropical Cyclone Bulletin posted by PAGASA.

The center of Marce was estimated at 4 a.m. to be at 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.

Marce is moving northwestward at a speed of 25 kph with strong to storm-force winds extending outwards up to 580 km from the center.

TCWS No. 1 was hoisted over the following areas:

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

Heavy rainfall outlook

Moderate to heavy rainfall may be expected over Cagayan province, according to Weather Advisory No. 2 posted by PAGASA.

Cagayan Valley, Apayao, Kalinga, Quezon, and Bicol Region will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms due to Marce with the possibility that flash floods or landslides will occur due to moderate to at times heavy rains.

Eastern Visayas and Aurora will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to Marce. Flash floods or landslides may occur during severe thunderstorms.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to localized thunderstorms. During severe thunderstorms, flash floods or landslides may occur.

Severe winds

PAGASA reported that the northeasterly wind flow will also bring strong to gale-force gusts over the following areas (especially in coastal and upland areas exposed to winds): Ilocos Sur, Aurora, Quezon, and Camarines Norte.

Hazards affecting coastal waters

A Gale Warning was hoisted over the northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Luzon.

The wind speed forecast for Northern Luzon and the eastern section of Southern Luzon is moderate to strong and moving northeastward while coastal waters will be moderate to rough.

The rest of Luzon will experience moderate to strong winds moving in the northeast to east direction. Coastal waters will be moderate to rough.

The rest of the country will have light to moderate winds moving in the northeast to northwest direction while coastal waters will be slight to moderate.

Track and intensity outlook

Marce is forecast to move generally west northwestward on Tuesday until Wednesday morning before decelerating and turning westward over the Philippine Sea east of Extreme Northern Luzon.

The weather bureau added that Marce may make landfall in the vicinity of Babuyan Islands or over the northern portion of mainland Cagayan on Thursday evening (7 November) or Friday (8 November) early 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 (9 November) early morning," said PAGASA.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) remained on heightened alert due to Marce.

NDRRMC chairperson and Defense chief Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said concerned agencies are closely monitoring the situation with Marce.

Some areas in Cagayan suspended classes on Tuesday, Nov. 5, due to the possible effects of Marce. — BAP/KG, GMA Integrated News