Marce now a typhoon; Signal No. 1 up in 12 Luzon areas

Track and intensity forecast of Typhoon Marce (international name: Yinxing) as of 11 a.m. on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. (Photo from Pagasa/Facebook)

MANILA, Philippines — Marce (international name: Yinxing) further intensified and reached the typhoon category by mid-morning on Tuesday, prompting the raising of Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No.1 over 12 areas in Luzon.

In a weather bulletin issued at 11 a.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Marce was last spotted 590 kilometers east of Baler, Aurora, carrying maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 150 kph.

Marce, which became a typhoon at 10 a.m. on November 5, was moving west-northwestward at 30 kph, the state weather agency also said.

Below is the list of areas in Luzon that were placed under TCWS No. 1 as of Tuesday morning:

1. Batanes
2. Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
3. Isabela
4. Ilocos Norte
5. Apayao
6. Abra
7. Kalinga
8. Mountain Province
9. Ifugao
10. The northern portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Diadi, Bagabag, Ambaguio, Villaverde, Bayombong, Solano, Quezon, Kasibu)
11. Northern portion of Quirino (Diffun, Saguday, Cabarroguis, Aglipay, Maddela)
12. Northern portion of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan)

These areas may experience minimal to minor impacts from strong winds brought by Marce, Pagasa noted.

READ: Marce seen to reach typhoon category Nov 5, says Pagasa

A gale warning was also hoisted over the northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Luzon due to Marce.

According to Pagasa Administrator Dr. Nathaniel Servando, Marce is expected to hit land either by Thursday evening or Friday morning “somewhere in the Babuyan Islands or northern portion of Mainland Cagayan.”

He said during a press briefing on Tuesday that Marce will leave the Philippine area of responsibility by Friday evening or Saturday morning.

“The highest intensity that we raise in areas in [the] northern part of Luzon, including [the] Babuyan Islands and Batanes, is Signal No. 4,” Servando noted.

READ: Marce further intensifies; Signal No. 4 seen as highest wind signal

The Pagasa official also mentioned the weather outlook from Tuesday to Thursday in Northern Luzon, which is anticipated to experience moderate to torrential rains, due to Marce.

Servando enumerated the following:

Tuesday, November 5

• Cagayan: Moderate to heavy rainfall
• Ilocos Sur, Aurora, Camarines Norte: Severe rains

Wednesday, November 6

• Cagayan: Heavy to intense rainfall as Typhoon Marce is moving closer to the area
• Batanes, Apayao: Moderate to heavy rainfall

Thursday, November 7

• Cagayan: Intense to torrential rainfall
• Apayao, Ilocos Norte, Batanes: Heavy to intense rainfall
• Isabela, Abra, Ilocos Sur, Kalinga, Mountain Province: Moderate to heavy rains