Super Typhoon Leon nears Batanes, within hours of possible landfall
MANILA, Philippines – Super Typhoon Leon (Kong-rey) continued to move closer to Batanes early Wednesday evening, October 30, while maintaining its strength.
Leon was last spotted 190 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes, at 7 pm on Wednesday. It is moving northwest at 20 kilometers per hour (km/h), maintaining its speed since late afternoon.
It continues to have maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h and gustiness of up to 230 km/h.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) is still not ruling out landfall in Batanes. Leon will be closest to the province from late Wednesday evening to Thursday morning, October 31.
“This super typhoon will be near or at peak intensity during its closest point of approach to Batanes,” PAGASA said.
After passing close to Batanes, or possibly making landfall there, Leon could make landfall in Taiwan on Thursday afternoon. Taiwan is within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).
“The landfall of Leon over Taiwan will result in a continuous weakening trend for the rest of the forecast period,” added the weather bureau.
Tropical cyclone wind signals are still raised in the following areas as of 8 pm on Wednesday:
Signal No. 4
Typhoon-force winds (118 to 184 km/h), significant to severe threat to life and property
- Batanes
Signal No. 3
Storm-force winds (89 to 117 km/h), moderate to significant threat to life and property
- eastern part of Babuyan Islands (Babuyan Island, Camiguin Island, Calayan Island)
- northeastern part of mainland Cagayan (Santa Ana)
Signal No. 2
Gale-force winds (62 to 88 km/h), minor to moderate threat to life and property
- rest of Babuyan Islands
- rest of mainland Cagayan
- northern part of Isabela (Santo Tomas, Santa Maria, Quezon, Delfin Albano, San Pablo, Ilagan City, Tumauini, Cabagan, Palanan, Quirino, Divilacan, Mallig, Maconacon, Gamu, Burgos, Roxas, San Mariano, Reina Mercedes, San Manuel, Naguilian, Benito Soliven)
- Apayao
- Kalinga
- northern and eastern parts of Abra (Tineg, Lacub, Malibcong, Lagayan, San Juan, Lagangilang, Licuan-Baay, Daguioman)
- eastern part of Mountain Province (Paracelis)
- 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 Mountain Province
- Ifugao
- Benguet
- rest of Abra
- Ilocos Sur
- La Union
- Pangasinan
- Nueva Ecija
- Aurora
- northeastern part of Tarlac (Camiling, San Clemente, Paniqui, Moncada, Anao, San Manuel, Pura, Ramos, Victoria, Gerona, Santa Ignacia, Tarlac City, La Paz)
PAGASA is not ruling out the raising of Signal No. 5 if the super typhoon “moves to the left of its forecast track.”
“The wind flow coming towards the circulation of Leon” is bringing strong to gale-force gusts to localities outside wind signal areas, too:
Wednesday, October 30
- Bataan, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, most of Visayas, Dinagat Islands
Thursday, October 31
- most of Cordillera Administrative Region, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Aurora, Bataan, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Northern Samar, most of Western Visayas
Friday, November 1
- Batanes, Babuyan Islands
The weather bureau also updated its rainfall outlook at 8 pm on Wednesday. Moderate to torrential rain will persist until Friday, November 1.
Wednesday evening, October 30, to Thursday evening, October 31
- Intense to torrential rain (more than 200 millimeters): Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
- Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Apayao, Abra, Occidental Mindoro, Calamian Islands, Antique
- Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Isabela, Kalinga, Benguet, Mountain Province, La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, Negros Occidental
Thursday evening, October 31, to Friday evening, November 1
- Intense to torrential rain (more than 200 mm): Batanes
- Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Babuyan Islands
- Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Occidental Mindoro, Ilocos Norte, Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, Calamian Islands
In addition, PAGASA warned Batanes and Babuyan Islands that they face a high risk of “life-threatening” storm surges “with peak heights exceeding 3 meters above normal tide levels” in the next 48 hours.
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In the next 24 hours, these are the expected sea conditions:
Up to very rough, high, or very high seas (travel is risky for all vessels)
- Seaboard of Batanes – waves up to 14 meters high
- Seaboard of Babuyan Islands – waves up to 12 meters high
- Seaboard of northeastern mainland Cagayan – waves up to 10 meters high
- Northern seaboard of Ilocos Norte; seaboard of Isabela; remaining seaboard of Cagayan – waves up to 6 meters high
- Seaboard of northern Aurora – waves up to 5 meters high
- Remaining seaboard of Ilocos Norte – waves up to 4.5 meters high
Up to rough seas (small vessels should not venture out to sea)
- Northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands; seaboards of Ilocos Sur and Camarines Norte; northern seaboard of Camarines Sur – waves up to 4 meters high
- Remaining seaboards of Ilocos Region and Aurora; northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Samar; eastern seaboards of Albay, Sorsogon, and Eastern Samar – waves up to 3.5 meters high
- Eastern seaboards of Quezon (including the rest of Polillo Islands) and Dinagat Islands; western seaboard of Zambales – waves up to 3 meters high
Up to moderate seas (small vessels should take precautionary measures or avoid sailing, if possible)
- Western seaboards of Bataan, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Islands, northern mainland Palawan, and Calamian Islands; eastern seaboards of Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental, and Davao Occidental – waves up to 2.5 meters high
- Remaining seaboards of Luzon; seaboards of Aklan and Capiz – waves up to 2 meters high
After crossing Taiwan, Leon is expected to head for the East China Sea and exit PAR on Thursday evening or early Friday morning.
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