Marce now in Sta. Ana, Cagayan waters; Signal No. 4 up over 3 areas

Three areas were placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 4 Thursday afternoon as Typhoon Marce intensified and moved to the coastal waters of Sta. Ana, Cagayan, state weather bureau PAGASA said.

In its 2 p.m. bulletin, PAGASA said the following areas in Luzon were under TCWS No. 4:

• the northern portion of Cagayan (Gonzaga, Santa Ana, Santa Teresita, Lal-Lo, Buguey, Aparri, Camalaniugan, Gattaran, Ballesteros, Allacapan, Abulug, Pamplona, Sanchez-Mira, Claveria, Santa Praxedes, Lasam) including Babuyan Islands
• the northern portion of Apayao (Santa Marcela, Luna, Flora, Calanasan, Pudtol)
• the northern portion of Ilocos Norte (Pagudpud, Bangui, Vintar, Dumalneg, Adams, Bacarra, Pasuquin, Burgos)

TCWS No. 3 was hoisted over the following areas:

• Batanes
• the rest of Cagayan
• the rest of Apayao
• the rest of Ilocos Norte
• the northern portion of Abra (Tineg, Danglas, Lagayan, Lacub, San Juan, La Paz, Bangued)
• the northern portion of Ilocos Sur (Sinait, Cabugao, San Juan, Magsingal, Santo Domingo)

The following areas were also placed under TCWS No. 2:

• the northern and central portions of Isabela (San Pablo, Santa Maria, Divilacan, Tumauini, Maconacon, Cabagan, Santo Tomas, Quezon, Palanan, Ilagan City, Mallig, Delfin Albano, Quirino, San Mariano, Gamu, Roxas, Naguilian, Burgos, Reina Mercedes, Benito Soliven, Luna, Aurora, San Manuel, San Mateo, Alicia, Angadanan, City of Cauayan, Cabatuan)
• the rest of Abra
• Kalinga
• Mountain Province
• the northern portion of Ifugao (Alfonso Lista, Aguinaldo, Mayoyao, Banaue, Hungduan)
• the northern portion of Benguet (Bakun, Mankayan)
• the rest of Ilocos Sur, and the northern portion of La Union (Sudipen, Bangar, Balaoan, Luna, Santol)

Meanwhile, TCWS No. 1 is in effect in the following areas:

• the rest of La Union
• Pangasinan
• the rest of Ifugao
• the rest of Benguet
• the rest of Isabela
• Quirino
• Nueva Vizcaya
• the northern and central portions of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, Dipaculao, Maria Aurora, Baler)
• the northern portion of Nueva Ecija (Carranglan)
• the northern portion of Zambales (Santa Cruz, Candelaria)

PAGASA said the center of Marce was located over the coastal waters of Santa Ana, Cagayan moving west northwestward at 10 kilometers per hour (kph) with maximum sustained winds of 175 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 240 kph.

“MARCE will be making landfall in Santa Ana, Cagayan between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. today,” PAGASA said.

“Afterwards, the typhoon will move generally westward, briefly emerge over Aparri Bay, and make another landfall along the coast of northwestern mainland Cagayan. MARCE will emerge over the West Philippines tomorrow (8 November) early morning,” it added.

According to PAGASA, Marce could reach the super typhoon level.

“Landfall at peak intensity is expected. Reaching super typhoon category is not ruled, although this will be for a brief period only,” PAGASA said.

Marce is expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) Friday afternoon or evening, according to PAGASA.—AOL, GMA Integrated News