MANILA, Philippines – Leon (Kong-rey) intensified from a typhoon into a super typhoon on Wednesday morning, October 30, threatening extreme Northern Luzon.
Leon’s maximum sustained winds increased from 165 kilometers per hour to 185 km/h, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in its 11 am bulletin on Wednesday.
The super typhoon’s gustiness is now up to 230 km/h from 205 km/h.
Leon was last spotted 350 kilometers east of Calayan, Cagayan, at 10 am. It slightly slowed down, moving west northwest at only 10 km/h from the previous 15 km/h.
The super typhoon is heading for Taiwan’s eastern coast, where it could make landfall on Thursday afternoon, October 31. Taiwan is within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).
But PAGASA is not ruling out landfall in Batanes. Leon is now projected to be closest to the province from late Wednesday evening to Thursday morning.
“This super typhoon will be near or at peak intensity during its closest point of approach to Batanes,” the weather bureau said.
After hitting Taiwan, Leon will start to weaken.
More areas were placed under Signal No. 3 at 11 am on Wednesday. Below is the full list of areas where tropical cyclone wind signals are in effect.
Signal No. 3
Storm-force winds (89 to 117 km/h), moderate to significant threat to life and property
- Batanes
- 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 and eastern parts of Isabela (Santo Tomas, Santa Maria, Quezon, San Mariano, Naguilian, Dinapigue, Delfin Albano, San Pablo, Ilagan City, Benito Soliven, Tumauini, Cabagan, Palanan, Quirino, Divilacan, Gamu, Mallig, Maconacon, Burgos, Cauayan City, San Guillermo, Angadanan, Cabatuan, Luna, Reina Mercedes, Roxas, Aurora, San Manuel)
- 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)
- northern part of Bulacan (Doña Remedios Trinidad, San Miguel)
- northern part of Quezon (Infanta, General Nakar) including Polillo Islands
- Camarines Norte
- northern part of Camarines Sur (Siruma, Tinambac, Lagonoy, Garchitorena, Caramoan)
- northern and eastern parts of Catanduanes (Pandan, Gigmoto, Bagamanoc, Panganiban, Viga, Baras, Caramoran)
PAGASA said Signal No. 4 will be raised in Batanes on Wednesday afternoon “in anticipation of potentially destructive typhoon-force winds from Leon.”
The weather bureau is also 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
- Aurora, Batangas, Quezon, Mimaropa, Bicol
Friday, November 1
- Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora
PAGASA also reminded areas affected by Leon to be on alert for floods and landslides, as the super typhoon is bringing moderate to torrential rain, mainly to Northern Luzon.
Wednesday noon, October 30, to Thursday noon, October 31
- 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
- Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Ilocos Sur, Abra, Kalinga, Benguet, La Union, Pangasinan, Calamian Islands, Negros Occidental, Antique
Thursday noon, October 31, to Friday noon, 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): mainland Cagayan, Occidental Mindoro, Ilocos Norte, Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, Calamian Islands
Friday noon, November 1, to Saturday noon, November 2
- Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Batanes
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.
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For sea conditions in the next 24 hours, the weather bureau maintained its forecast:
Up to very rough or high seas (travel is risky for all vessels)
- Seaboards of Batanes – waves up to 12 meters high
- Seaboards of 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 – waves up to 4.5 meters high
Up to rough seas (small vessels should not venture out to sea)
- Western seaboard of Ilocos Norte; remaining seaboard of Aurora; northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands; seaboard of Camarines Norte; northern seaboard of Camarines Sur; northern and eastern seaboards of Catanduanes – waves up to 4 meters high
- Seaboard of Ilocos Sur; northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Samar – waves up to 3.5 meters high
- Eastern seaboards of mainland Quezon, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, and Eastern Samar; 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, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Islands, and Kalayaan Islands; western seaboard of northern Palawan; eastern seaboards of Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur – waves up to 2.5 meters high
- Remaining seaboards of Luzon and Visayas – 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, 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