MANILA, Philippines – Leon (Kong-rey), which passed close to the Philippines’ northernmost province of Batanes as a super typhoon, was downgraded to a typhoon late Thursday morning, October 31.
Leon’s maximum sustained winds are down to 175 kilometers per hour after reaching a peak intensity of 195 km/h, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in a briefing past 11 am on Thursday.
The typhoon’s gustiness is now up to 215 km/h from 240 km/h.
As of 10 am, it was located 155 kilometers north of Itbayat, Batanes, moving northwest at a slightly faster 25 km/h from 20 km/h.
Leon is still projected to make landfall in Taiwan, which is within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), on Thursday afternoon. “Significant weakening” is likely when it crosses Taiwan’s mountainous terrain.
Afterwards, Leon may turn northeast over the Taiwan Strait toward the East China Sea, and exit PAR on Thursday evening or early Friday morning, November 1. “A second landfall over mainland China is not ruled out during this period,” PAGASA also said.
Signal No. 4 has been lifted as of PAGASA’s 11 am bulletin on Thursday. Signal No. 5, the highest tropical cyclone wind signal, was earlier lifted at 8 am. Only Signal Nos. 1 to 3 remain in effect.
Signal No. 3
Storm-force winds (89 to 117 km/h), moderate to significant threat to life and property
- Batanes
Signal No. 2
Gale-force winds (62 to 88 km/h), minor to moderate threat to life and property
- Babuyan Islands
Signal No. 1
Strong winds (39 to 61 km/h), minimal to minor threat to life and property
- mainland Cagayan
- Isabela
- Apayao
- Abra
- Kalinga
- Mountain Province
- Ifugao
- northern part of Benguet (Mankayan, Bakun, Buguias)
- Ilocos Norte
- Ilocos Sur
“The wind flow coming towards the circulation of Leon” is still bringing strong to gale-force gusts to these areas, too:
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, Cagayan, Isabela
In terms of rainfall, Batanes is no longer seeing intense to torrential rain (more than 200 millimeters) as Leon continues to move away.
From Thursday noon to Friday noon, or in the next 24 hours, Batanes will have heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm), while Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Benguet, La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro, and Calamian Islands will have moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm). Floods and landslides are still likely.
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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The weather bureau also updated its outlook for sea conditions in the next 24 hours:
Up to very rough or high seas (travel is risky for all vessels)
- Seaboard of Batanes – waves up to 8 meters high
- Seaboard of Babuyan Islands – waves up to 5.5 meters high
- Northern seaboard of Ilocos Norte – waves up to 5 meters high
- Eastern seaboard of mainland Cagayan; remaining seaboard of Ilocos Norte – waves up to 4.5 meters high
Up to rough seas (small vessels should not venture out to sea)
- Seaboards of Ilocos Sur, Isabela, and northern Aurora – waves up to 4 meters high
- Remaining seaboards of Ilocos Region – waves up to 3.5 meters high
- Northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands and Catanduanes; northern seaboard of Camarines Sur; seaboard of Camarines Norte; eastern seaboards of Eastern Samar and Northern Samar – waves up to 3 meters high
Up to moderate seas (small vessels should take precautionary measures or avoid sailing, if possible)
- Western seaboards of Zambales, Bataan, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Islands, northern mainland Palawan, and Calamian Islands; eastern seaboards of Albay, Sorsogon, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental, and Davao Occidental; northern seaboards of Polillo Islands and Northern Samar; remaining seaboard of Aurora – waves up to 2.5 meters high
- Remaining seaboards of Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Mimaropa; western seaboard of Aklan; seaboards of Antique and Metro Manila – waves up to 2 meters high
Leon is the Philippines’ 12th tropical cyclone for 2024, and the second for October. – Rappler.com