Pagasa: Marce to bring rains to Luzon

MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Storm Marce (international name: Yinxing) entered the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Monday and was forecast to make landfall near the Babuyan Islands or mainland northern Cagayan by late Thursday or early Friday.

But a track change was still possible with landfall over the Cagayan-Isabela area, according to the 5 p.m. Monday bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

Marce has maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 105 kph.

READ: Tropical Depression Marce intensifies into a storm as it enters PAR

The storm was moving west-northwestward at 30 kph, and its center was located 740 km east of Virac, Catanduanes.

Pagasa weather specialist Veronica Torres, however, said that as of now, the storm has no direct effect on the country.

On Tuesday, rains are expected over extreme northern Luzon and the eastern section of Luzon due to the trough and the northeasterly wind flow enhanced by the storm.

Pagasa said it expected Marce to gradually intensify and reach a severe tropical storm category by late Monday or early Tuesday. It may also become a typhoon by late Tuesday or early Wednesday. —Gillian Villanueva