Signal No. 3 up over mainland Cagayan as ‘Marce’ intensifies — Pagasa

MANILA, Philippines — Signal No. 3 was raised over the northeastern portion of mainland Cagayan as Typhoon “Marce” further intensified, threatening Babuyan Islands and northern mainland Luzon, the state weather bureau said on Wednesday.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) in its 11 a.m. bulletin said Signal No. 2 is up over Batanes, Babuyan Islands, the northern portion of mainland Cagayan (Gonzaga, Lal-Lo, Santa Teresita, Buguey, Gattaran, Baggao, Lasam, Abulug, Camalaniugan, Pamplona, Claveria, Aparri, Ballesteros, Allacapan, Sanchez-Mira, Santa Praxedes, Rizal, Santo Niño, Alcala and Amulung), and the northern portion of Apayao (Calanasan, Luna, Pudtol, Santa Marcela, Flora and Kabugao).

Signal No. 1 was raised over Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, the rest of Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, the northern portion of Benguet (Mankayan, Buguias, Kabayan, Bakun, Kibungan, Bokod and Atok), the rest of mainland Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, and the northern portion of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, Dipaculao, Maria Aurora and Baler) also in Luzon.

Estimated at 305 kilometers east of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan or 315kms east of Aparri, Cagayan, Marce has been moving westward at 10 kilometers per hour (kph) while packing maximum sustained winds of 150kph near the center and gustiness of up to 185kph, the weather agency said.

Based on its forecast track, Pagasa said Marce would make landfall and traverse Babuyan Islands or the northern portions of mainland Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, and Apayao or pass very close to these areas from Thursday afternoon to early Friday morning.

Also, it said that the surge of the northeasterly wind flow would result in a more southwestward movement during the weekend.

The typhoon is expected to continue intensifying and may reach its peak intensity within the day with its passage over the Babuyan Channel, the latest bulletin said.

Marce will remain as a typhoon throughout its passage within PAR, Pagasa said.