‘Seryosohin dapat natin ang pagiging alerto at paghanda,’ says PAGASA Administrator Nathaniel Servando on Tuesday, October 29, as Typhoon Leon (Kong-rey) rapidly intensifies
MANILA, Philippines – Typhoon Leon (Kong-rey) was undergoing rapid intensification over the waters east of Cagayan on Tuesday afternoon, October 29, with its maximum sustained winds increasing from 130 kilometers per hour to 150 km/h.
The typhoon’s gustiness is now up to 185 km/h from the previous 160 km/h, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in a press conference past 5 pm on Tuesday.
Leon was last spotted 505 kilometers east of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, or 515 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan, at 4 pm. It is still moving west northwest over the Philippine Sea at only 10 km/h.
Leon will continue rapidly intensifying over the sea, and is now likely to be a super typhoon by early Thursday, October 31. A super typhoon has maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h or above.
PAGASA sees Leon heading northwest until it makes landfall along Taiwan’s eastern coast on Thursday afternoon or evening. Taiwan is within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).
But the weather bureau is not ruling out landfall in Batanes. Leon will be closest to the province between early morning and noon of Thursday.
“Leon will likely be at or near super typhoon intensity during its closest point of approach to Batanes,” PAGASA said.
Rain from Leon is expected to be worst in Northern Luzon — reaching torrential levels — but portions of Central Luzon and Southern Luzon as well as a few areas in the Visayas are also going to be affected by heavy rain. Here is PAGASA’s latest rainfall advisory released at 5 pm on Tuesday:
Tuesday afternoon, October 29, to Wednesday afternoon, October 30
- Intense to torrential rain (more than 200 millimeters): Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
- Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Ilocos Norte, Apayao, Isabela, Occidental Mindoro, Antique
- Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Ilocos Sur, Abra, Kalinga, Calamian Islands, Romblon, Negros Occidental, Aklan
Wednesday afternoon, October 30, to Thursday afternoon, October 31
- Intense to torrential rain (more than 200 mm): Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Occidental Mindoro
- Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Apayao, Isabela, Calamian Islands, Antique
- Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Abra, Bataan, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Romblon, Aklan
Thursday afternoon, October 31, to Friday afternoon, November 1
- Intense to torrential rain (more than 200 mm): Batanes, Babuyan Islands
- Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): mainland Cagayan, Calamian Islands, Occidental Mindoro
- Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Ilocos Norte, Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, Romblon, Antique
“Seryosohin dapat natin ang pagiging alerto at paghanda sa posibleng epekto ng bagyong Leon. Dahil sa inaasahang malalakas na mga pag-ulan, ito ay magdudulot ng mga pagbaha at landslides,” said PAGASA Administrator Nathaniel Servando in Tuesday’s press conference.
(We should be alert and take preparations for Typhoon Leon’s possible effects seriously. Because of the expected heavy rainfall, the typhoon will trigger floods and landslides.)
Meanwhile, the weather bureau placed more areas under tropical cyclone wind signals, also as of 5 pm on Tuesday.
Signal No. 2
Gale-force winds (62 to 88 km/h), minor to moderate threat to life and property
- Batanes
- Babuyan Islands
- mainland Cagayan
- northern and eastern parts of Isabela (Santo Tomas, Santa Maria, Quezon, San Mariano, Naguilian, Dinapigue, Delfin Albano, San Pablo, Ilagan City, Benito Soliven, Tumauini, Cabagan, Reina Mercedes, Palanan, Quirino, Divilacan, Gamu, Mallig, Maconacon, Burgos)
- Apayao
- northern part of Kalinga (Tabuk City, Balbalan, Pinukpuk, Rizal)
- northern part of Abra (Tineg, Lacub, Malibcong)
- Ilocos Norte
Signal No. 1
Strong winds (39 to 61 km/h), minimal to minor threat to life and property
- rest of Isabela
- Quirino
- Nueva Vizcaya
- rest of Kalinga
- Mountain Province
- Ifugao
- Benguet
- rest of Abra
- Ilocos Sur
- La Union
- eastern part of Nueva Ecija (General Tinio, Gabaldon, Bongabon, Carranglan, Pantabangan, Laur, Rizal)
- Aurora
- northern and eastern parts of Quezon (Infanta, Real, Mauban, Perez, Alabat, Quezon, Calauag, General Nakar, Atimonan, Plaridel, Gumaca, Lopez, Guinayangan, Tagkawayan) including Polillo Islands
- Camarines Norte
- Camarines Sur
- Catanduanes
- Albay
- northern part of Sorsogon (Prieto Diaz, Sorsogon City, Gubat, Barcelona, Casiguran, Bulusan, Juban, Magallanes, Castilla, Pilar, Donsol)
The highest possible tropical cyclone wind signal due to Leon is either Signal No. 3 or 4, “especially in Batanes and Babuyan Islands.” But PAGASA is not ruling out the raising of Signal No. 5 if Leon reaches super typhoon status.
“The wind flow coming towards the circulation” of the typhoon is bringing strong to gale-force gusts to localities outside wind signal areas, too:
Tuesday, October 29
- Bataan, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Visayas, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Camiguin
Wednesday, October 30
- Bataan, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, most of Visayas, Dinagat Islands
Thursday, October 31
- Aurora, Quezon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Dinagat Islands
In addition, PAGASA warned Batanes and Babuyan Islands that they face a moderate to high risk of “life-threatening” storm surges “reaching 2 to 3 meters above normal tide levels” in the next 48 hours.
ALSO ON RAPPLER
The weather bureau maintained the following forecast for sea conditions in the next 24 hours:
Up to very rough or high seas (travel is risky for all vessels)
- Seaboards of Batanes, Babuyan Islands, and northeastern mainland Cagayan – waves up to 10 meters high
- Remaining eastern seaboard of mainland Cagayan – waves up to 8 meters high
- Seaboards of Isabela; remaining northern seaboard of mainland Cagayan – waves up to 7 meters high
- Northern seaboard of Ilocos Norte – waves up to 6 meters high
- Seaboard of northern Aurora; northern seaboard of Catanduanes – waves up to 4.5 meters high
Up to rough seas (small vessels should not venture out to sea)
- Remaining seaboard of Ilocos Norte; northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands; seaboard of Camarines Norte; northern seaboard of Camarines Sur; eastern seaboard of Catanduanes – waves up to 4 meters high
- Seaboard of Ilocos Sur; eastern seaboards of Albay and Sorsogon; northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Samar – waves up to 3.5 meters high
- Eastern seaboard of mainland Quezon, Camarines Sur, Eastern Samar, and Dinagat Islands; remaining seaboards of Ilocos Region – waves up to 3 meters high
Up to moderate seas (small vessels should take precautionary measures or avoid sailing, if possible)
- Seaboards of Zambales, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental, and Kalayaan Islands – waves up to 2.5 meters high
- Remaining seaboards of Luzon and Visayas; northern seaboard of Mindanao – waves up to 2 meters high
After crossing Taiwan, Leon is projected to turn north or north northeast over the Taiwan Strait toward the East China Sea and leave PAR on Thursday evening or early Friday morning, November 1.
PAGASA said another landfall in mainland China is not being ruled out.
Leon is the Philippines’ 12th tropical cyclone for 2024, and the second for October. – Rappler.com
