All tropical cyclone warning signals have been lifted as tropical storm “Marce” (international name “Tokage”) is already on its way out of the country’s area of responsibility, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration said yesterday.
Marce was estimated at 335 kilometers west of Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro. It slightly intensified with maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 95 kph at noon yesterday.
It continues to move northwest at 15 kph. Marce is expected to be out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility today.
PAGASA weather forecaster Jun Galang said the outer spiral of Marce will continue to bring light to moderate rains over Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan.
He noted that Marce is also enhancing the northeast monsoon or “amihan,” which may bring isolated light rains over Northern and Central Luzon, including Metro Manila, today.
PAGASA warned residents of Isabela, Aurora, and Quezon against possible floods and landslides due to moderate to heavy rains enhanced by Marce, while light to moderate rains is expected over Metro Manila and the rest of Northern and Central Luzon.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said yesterday that 285 families or 1,100 persons from 13 barangays in the Caraga region were affected by Marce.
Undersecretary Ricardo B. Jalad, NDRRMC Executive Director and Office of Civil Defense administrator, said the affected persons are temporarily sheltered in evacuation centers due to threats of heavy flooding.
Jalad said that 637 families or 2,959 persons were pre-emptively evacuated in Regions 7 and Caraga and are currently taking shelter in five evacuation centers due to heavy rains and threats of flooding.
More than 2,700 passengers, 356 rolling cargoes, 81 vessels, and 112 motor bancas were stranded in different ports in Regions 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and Negros Island Region due to Marce. (Ellalyn B. de Vera and Francis)