Marce now a severe tropical storm as it undergoes rapid intensification

MANILA, Philippines – Marce (Yinxing) strengthened from a tropical storm into a severe tropical storm while undergoing rapid intensification over the Philippine Sea on Monday evening, November 4.

In a bulletin issued at 11 pm on Monday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Marce now has maximum sustained winds of 100 kilometers per hour from the previous 85 km/h. Its gustiness is now up to 125 km/h from 105 km/h.

By Tuesday morning, November 5, Marce could already be a typhoon as it continues to rapidly intensify. Under PAGASA’s classification, a typhoon has maximum sustained winds of 118 to 184 km/h.

As of 10 pm on Monday, Marce was located 590 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes, or 715 kilometers east of Daet, Camarines Norte. It is moving northwest at 35 km/h, faster than its previous speed of 30 km/h.

PAGASA expects Marce to start bringing moderate to heavy rain to parts of Northern Luzon on Tuesday evening. Here is the weather bureau’s initial rainfall outlook for the tropical cyclone:

Tuesday evening, November 5, to Wednesday evening, November 6

• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 millimeters): Cagayan, Batanes, Apayao

Wednesday evening, November 6, to Thursday evening, November 7

• Intense to torrential rain (more than 200 mm): Cagayan
• Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Apayao, Ilocos Norte
• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Isabela, Abra, Ilocos Sur, Kalinga, Mountain Province

Floods and landslides are likely.

On Monday, Marce’s trough or extension was already expected to bring scattered rain showers and thunderstorms to mainland Cagayan, Isabela, and Bicol, as well as isolated rain showers or thunderstorms to Eastern Visayas, other areas in Cagayan Valley, Aurora, and Quezon.

PAGASA also raised Signal No. 1 in parts of Northern Luzon at 11 pm on Monday, which means they have lead time of 36 hours to prepare for strong winds from the tropical cyclone. Below are the areas under Signal No. 1.

• Batanes
• northern and eastern parts of Cagayan (Camalaniugan, Lal-lo, Pamplona, Gonzaga, Santa Teresita, Baggao, Buguey, Santa Ana, Claveria, Gattaran, Peñablanca, Lasam, Aparri, Ballesteros, Abulug, Allacapan, Sanchez-Mira, Santa Praxedes, Alcala, Amulung, Iguig) including Babuyan Islands
• eastern part of Isabela (Maconacon, San Pablo, Divilacan, Palanan, Dinapigue)
• northern part of Apayao (Santa Marcela, Luna, Calanasan, Flora, Pudtol)
• northern part of Ilocos Norte (Pagudpud, Dumalneg, Adams, Bangui, Burgos, Pasuquin, Vintar)

The highest possible wind signal due to Marce is Signal No. 4.

The northeasterly windflow is bringing strong to gale-force gusts to the following areas as well:

Tuesday, November 5

• Ilocos Sur, Aurora, Quezon, Camarines Norte

Wednesday, November 6

• Ilocos Region, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes

Thursday, November 7

• Ilocos Region

ALSO ON RAPPLER

• [EDITORIAL] Duterte in the Senate: Last man standing is a woman
• Should you stay up? A guide for Filipinos on 2024 US elections voting hours, expected results
• As another PBA record looms for Brownlee, Chambers here to cheer
• Slumping UE grasping for answers after recent struggles

Marce is seen to move generally west northwest until Wednesday morning, November 6, before slowing down and turning west over the Philippine Sea east of extreme Northern Luzon. This slowdown over the sea, which may last a couple of days, means the tropical cyclone could dump more rain while lingering east of Northern Luzon.

Marce could make landfall in Babuyan Islands or mainland northern Cagayan on Thursday evening, November 7, or early Friday morning, November 8.

But the weather bureau maintained that the track of the tropical cyclone may still change “due to uncertainty in the strength of the high pressure area” located above it, which is influencing its movement.

Landfall could be in the mainland Cagayan-Isabela area if Marce’s track shifts further downward.

For coastal waters, PAGASA updated its outlook, covering Tuesday:

Up to rough seas (small vessels should not venture out to sea)

• Seaboards of Batanes, Ilocos Norte, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, and Isabela – waves up to 3.5 meters high
• Remaining seaboard of Ilocos Region; seaboards of Aurora, Quezon, and Camarines Norte; northern seaboard of Camarines Norte; northern and eastern seaboards of Catanduanes – waves up to 3 meters high

Up to moderate seas (small vessels should take precautionary measures or avoid sailing, if possible)

• Remaining eastern seaboard of Bicol; northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Samar and Eastern Samar – waves up to 2.5 meters high
• Seaboards of Zambales, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, and Davao Oriental – waves up to 2 meters high

Marce is the Philippines’ 13th tropical cyclone for 2024, and the first for November.

PAGASA previously estimated that one or two tropical cyclones could form within or enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility in November. – Rappler.com