Severe Tropical Storm ‘Marce’ (International Name: Yinxing) has intensified into a typhoon as it traverses the Philippine sea, the state weather bureau said.
According to the latest 11 AM advisory from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), ‘Marce’ is moving west northwestward at 30 kilometers per hour with maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kilometers per hour.
Its center was last estimated at 590 km east of Baler, Aurora.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 has been raised over Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Isabela, Ilocos Norte, Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, the northern portion of Nueva Vizcaya, the northern portion of Quirino and the northern portion of Aurora.
The weather disturbance is forecast to move generally west northwestward today until tomorrow morning before decelerating and turning westward over the Philippine Sea east of extreme Northern Luzon.
Based on the forecast track, ‘Marce’ may make landfall in the vicinity of Babuyan Islands or over the northern portion of mainland Cagayan on Thursday evening or Friday early morning.
According to PAGASA, ‘Marce’ is expected to continue intensifying and may reach its peak intensity prior to possible landfall over Babuyan Islands or Cagayan.
“Due to uncertainty in the strength of the high pressure area north of ‘Marce’, the forecast track may still change and bring the landfall point to mainland Cagayan-Isabela area. ‘Marce’ may exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) region on Friday evening or Saturday early morning.”
