Marcos orders gov't to brace for the impact of Super Typhoon Leon

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. inspects the areas affected by severe tropical storm Kristine in Batangas and Cavite on October 25, 2024. Courtesy: MPC poolMANILA – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Wednesday noted the need to brace for the impact of Super Typhoon Leon which is expected to hit the country as most regions continue to reel from the effects of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine.

READ: Leon now a super typhoon

The president made the statement during his speech at the launch of the Maersk Optimus Distribution Center in Calamba City, Laguna as he acknowledged the efforts of Laguna Governor Ramil Hernandez in addressing the needs of storm victims in the province.

“The Global Head of Maersk Contract Logistics (MCL) Dominic Gates; the Province of Laguna Governor Ramil Hernandez who has been working very hard over the past couple of days to try and do what we can for all of those victims of Kristine. Unfortunately, mukhang may padating na naman kaya’t paghandaan natin nang mabuti,” he said.

The state weather bureau PAGASA in its latest bulletin reported that Leon has intensified into a super typhoon and continues to threaten extreme Northern Luzon.

As of 10 a.m., Leon was located at 350 km east of Calayan, Cagayan with winds of 185 kph near its center, and gusts of up to 230 kph. It is heading west northwestward at 10 kph.

Leon is forecast to be closest to Batanes from late evening Wednesday to Thursday morning, October 31, with a chance of landfall not being ruled out.

 It is expected to make landfall along the eastern cost of Taiwan tomorrow, and leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) the same day or on Friday early morning.