By Brian Campued
Typhoon Marce is expected to make landfall at peak intensity or traverse Babuyan Islands and/or the northern portions of mainland Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, and Apayao on Thursday afternoon, the state weather bureau said.
In its tropical cyclone bulletin issued at 11:00 a.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Marce was located 115 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan, moving west-northwestward at 10 kilometers per hour.
The typhoon packs maximum sustained winds of 175 kph and gustiness of up to 215 kph.
“Posible ngayong hapon, sa pagitan ng 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., ay either tumama ito sa northeastern part ng Cagayan, sa may bandang Santa Ana area or dito sa Camiguin Island,” PAGASA Assistant Weather Services Chief Chris Perez said in a public briefing.
“Then inaasahan naman na paglagpas sa nabanggit nating lugar, posibleng tumahak ito ng direksiyong pa-kanluran at maapektuhan ang Apayao at ang Ilocos Norte,” he added.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 4 is now hoisted over extreme northern Luzon:
- 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, Babuyan Islands)
- Northern portion of Apayao (Santa Marcela, Luna, Flora, Calanasan, Pudtol)
- Northern portion of Ilocos Norte (Pagudpud, Bangui, Vintar, Dumalneg, Adams, Bacarra, Pasuquin, Burgos)
TCWS No. 3:
- Batanes
- Rest of Cagayan
- Rest of Apayao
- Rest of Ilocos Norte
- Northern portion of Abra (Tineg, Danglas, Lagayan, Lacub, San Juan, La Paz, Bangued)
- Northern portion of Ilocos Sur (Sinait, Cabugao, San Juan, Magsingal, Santo Domingo)
TCWS No. 2:
- 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)
- Rest of Abra
- Kalinga
- Mountain Province
- Northern portion of Ifugao (Alfonso Lista, Aguinaldo, Mayoyao, Banaue, Hungduan)
- Northern portion of Benguet (Bakun, Mankayan)
- Rest of Ilocos Sur
- Northern portion of La Union (Sudipen, Bangar, Balaoan, Luna, Santol)
TCWS No. 1:
- Rest of La Union
- Pangasinan
- Rest of Ifugao
- Rest of Benguet
- Rest of Isabela
- Quirino
- Nueva Vizcaya
- Northern and central portions of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, Dipaculao, Maria Aurora, Baler)
- Northern portion of Nueva Ecija (Carranglan)
- Northern portion of Zambales (Santa Cruz, Candelaria)
The northeasterly wind flow and the periphery of Marce will also bring strong to gale-force gusts over Zambales, Bataan, and Polillo Islands today.
In terms of rainfall, intense to torrential rains will be experienced in Cagayan and Apayao until Friday noon; heavy to intense rains in Batanes, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Isabela, and Abra; and moderate to heavy rains over La Union, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Benguet, and Ifugao.
Meanwhile, gale warning is hoisted over the seaboards of Batanes, Isabela, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and Cagayan (including Babuyan Islands), La Union, Pangasinan, northern Zambales and northern Aurora.
“Iwasan na po ang anumang uri ng maritime activities. Hindi na papayagan pumalaot ang anumang uri ng sasakyang pandagat,” Perez said.
Residents in low-lying, coastal localities of northern coast of Cagayan and Ilocos Norte are also cautioned against a storm surge of more than three meters in height; Batanes, eastern coast of Cagayan, western coast of Ilocos Norte, and Ilocos sur with storm surge between 2.1 meters to 3 meters; and Isabela and northern La Union with storm surge of up to 2 meters.
—iro