‘Life-threatening conditions’ persist as Typhoon Marce moves over Ilocos Norte

Typhoon Marce (Yinxing) continues to batter Northern Luzon in the early hours of Friday, November 8

MANILA, Philippines – Typhoon Marce (Yinxing) was already in the vicinity of Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte, at 1 am on Friday, November 8, still dumping rain and unleashing fierce winds in Northern Luzon.

The typhoon is moving west southwest over Ilocos Norte, maintaining its speed of 20 kilometers per hour (km/h), the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its 2 am bulletin on Friday.

The typhoon slightly weakened, with its maximum sustained winds down to 165 km/h from a peak of 175 km/h. Its gustiness also eased a bit from 290 km/h to 275 km/h. But Marce remains powerful and is still causing “life-threatening conditions” in the northern portions of Cagayan, Apayao, and Ilocos Norte.

Marce made landfall twice in Cagayan on Thursday, November 7 — first in Santa Ana at 3:40 pm, then in Sanchez-Mira at 9 pm.

It is set to exit the landmass of Luzon via Ilocos Norte in the early hours of Friday, then leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) in the afternoon or evening.

Though Marce is expected to weaken further in the coming days, it is likely to remain a typhoon for the rest of its stay inside PAR. The weather bureau no longer raised the possibility of Marce intensifying into a super typhoon.

Here are the areas where tropical cyclone wind signals are in effect as of 2 am on Friday:

Signal No. 4

Typhoon-force winds (118 to 184 km/h), significant to severe threat to life and property

• northwestern part of Cagayan (Ballesteros, Allacapan, Abulug, Pamplona, Sanchez-Mira, Claveria, Santa Praxedes) including Babuyan Islands (Fuga Island, Dalupiri Island)
• northern part of Apayao (Santa Marcela, Luna, Flora, Calanasan, Pudtol, Kabugao)
• northernmost part of Abra (Tineg, Danglas, Lagayan)
• Ilocos Norte
• northernmost part of Ilocos Sur (Sinait, Cabugao)

Signal No. 3

Storm-force winds (89 to 117 km/h), moderate to significant threat to life and property

• rest of Babuyan Islands
• rest of mainland Cagayan
• rest of Apayao
• northern part of Kalinga (Balbalan, Pinukpuk)
• northern part of Abra (Danglas, Lagayan, Lacub, San Juan, La Paz, Bangued, Langiden, San Quintin, Pidigan, Malibcong, Peñarrubia, Bucay, Licuan-Baay, Lagangilang, Dolores, Tayum, Sallapadan, Daguioman, Bucloc, San Isidro)
• northern part of Ilocos Sur (Cabugao, San Juan, Magsingal, Santo Domingo, San Vicente, Santa Catalina, Bantay, San Ildefonso, Vigan City, Caoayan, Santa, Narvacan, Nagbukel)

Signal No. 2

Gale-force winds (62 to 88 km/h), minor to moderate threat to life and property

• Batanes
• northern part of Isabela (San Pablo, Santa Maria, Divilacan, Tumauini, Maconacon, Cabagan, Santo Tomas, Quezon, Ilagan City, Mallig, Delfin Albano, Quirino, Gamu, Roxas, Naguilian, Burgos, Reina Mercedes, Benito Soliven, Luna, Aurora, San Manuel, San Mateo, Alicia, Angadanan, Cauayan City, Cabatuan)
• rest of Abra
• rest of Kalinga
• Mountain Province
• northern part of Ifugao (Alfonso Lista, Aguinaldo, Mayoyao, Banaue, Hungduan)
• northern part of Benguet (Bakun, Mankayan)
• rest of Ilocos Sur
• northern part of La Union (Sudipen, Bangar, Balaoan, Luna, Santol, Bacnotan)

Signal No. 1

Strong winds (39 to 61 km/h), minimal to minor threat to life and property

• rest of La Union
• Pangasinan
• rest of Ifugao
• rest of Benguet
• rest of Isabela
• Quirino
• Nueva Vizcaya
• northern and central parts of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, Dipaculao)
• northern part of Nueva Ecija (Carranglan)
• northern part of Zambales (Santa Cruz, Candelaria)

The northeasterly windflow and the “periphery” of the typhoon are still bringing strong to gale-force gusts to these areas, too:

Friday, November 8

• Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Isabela, Ilocos Region

Saturday, November 9

On Friday, only Ilocos Norte faces intense to torrential rain, based on PAGASA’s updated rainfall advisory. But nine other provinces will continue to have moderate to heavy rain or heavy to intense rain, which may still trigger floods and landslides.

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

In addition, there is still a high risk of “life-threatening” storm surges “with peak surge heights exceeding 3 meters” in Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Isabela, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and La Union in the next 48 hours.

ALSO ON RAPPLER

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For sea conditions on Friday, this is the weather bureau’s latest outlook:

Up to very rough, high, or very high seas (travel is risky for all vessels)

• Seaboards of Babuyan Islands and Ilocos Norte; northern seaboard of mainland Cagayan – waves up to 12 meters high
• Remaining seaboard of Cagayan – waves up to 7 meters high
• Seaboards of Batanes and Ilocos Sur – waves up to 6 meters high
• Remaining seaboard of Ilocos Region – waves up to 5 meters high
• Seaboards of northern Zambales and Isabela – waves up to 4.5 meters high

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

• Seaboard of Kalayaan Islands – waves up to 4 meters high
• Seaboards of Zambales – waves up to 3.5 meters high
• Northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands and Catanduanes; northern seaboard of Camarines Sur; western seaboards of Bataan, Lubang Islands, Calamian Islands, and mainland Palawan – waves up to 3 meters high

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

• Northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands; northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Samar; eastern seaboards of Albay, Sorsogon, and Eastern Samar; remaining seaboard of Aurora – waves up to 2.5 meters high
• Seaboards of Quezon; western seaboards of Occidental Mindoro and Batangas; eastern seaboards of Camarines Sur, Dinagat Islands, and Surigao del Sur – 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 PAR in November. – Rappler.com