Signal No. 2 in 16 areas after Pepito makes landfall

The weather bureau PAGASA has raised Signal No. 2 over 16 areas after Tropical Storm Pepito made landfall in the vicinity of San Ildefonso Peninsula in Casiguran, Aurora on Tuesday night.

According to the 11 p.m. severe weather bulletin, the following areas are under Signal No. 2:

• La Union
• Pangasinan
• Ifugao
• Benguet
• Nueva Vizcaya
• Quirino
• Nueva Ecija
• Tarlac
• Aurora
• The southern portion of Isabela (Palanan, San Mariano, Benito Soliven, Naguilian, Gamu, Burgos, San Manuel, Aurora, Cabatuan, Luna, Reina Mercedes, Cauayan City, Dinapigue, San Guillermo, Angadanan, Alicia, San Mateo, Ramon, San Isidro, Echague, San Agustin, Jones, Santiago City, Cordon)
• The southern portion of Ilocos Sur (Sugpon, Alilem, Tagudin)
• Northern portion of Zambales (Iba, Palauig, Masinloc, Candelaria, Santa Cruz, Botolan, Cabangan)
• The northern portion of Bulacan (San Miguel, Doña Remedios Trinidad)
• The northern portion of Pampanga (Candaba, Arayat, Magalang, Mabalacat)
• The northern portion of Quezon (General Nakar)
• Polillo Islands

Signal No. 1 was raised over the following areas:

• Abra
• Kalinga
• Mountain Province
• Bataan
• Metro Manila
• Rizal
• The rest of Northern Portion of Quezon (Infanta, Real)
• The rest of Ilocos Sur
• The rest of Isabela
• The rest of Pampanga
• The rest of Bulacan
• The rest of Zambales

At 10 p.m. on Tuesday, the center of Pepito was estimated in the vicinity of Dinalungan, Aurora with maximum sustained winds of 70 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 125 kph.

It is moving westward at 20 kph.

PAGASA said Pepito is likely to maintain its strength while crossing the landmass. It is expected to intensify into a severe tropical storm by Thursday after crossing Luzon.

Pepito is forecast to emerge over the West Philippine Sea on Wednesday morning and exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Thursday morning or afternoon.

Hazards

From Tuesday night to Wednesday morning, Pepito is expected to bring moderate to heavy rains over Central Luzon, Cordillera Administrative Region, northern Quezon (including Polillo Islands), Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Isabela, mainland Cagayan, La Union, and Pangasinan.

It may also bring light to moderate with, at times, heavy rains over Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Bangsamoro.

PAGASA warned of possible flooding and rain-induced landslides during heavy or prolonged rainfall.

Meanwhile, high to gale-force winds are forecast to prevail over areas under Signal No. 2 and Signal No. 1

Due to rough to very rough seas, gale warnings have also been raised over the seaboards of Batanes, Cagayan, and Ilocos Norte and the western seaboards of Batangas, Occidental Mindoro (including Lubang Island), and Palawan (including Calamian Islands).

Moderate to rough seas may, meanwhile, prevail over Palawan and the eastern seaboards of Southern Luzon, Eastern Visayas, Caraga, and Davao Region.

Tropical depression

A tropical depression was also estimated outside PAR at 1,825 kilometers east northeast of Basco, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 70 kph.

PAGASA said the tropical depression is “almost stationary” and is “less likely to enter PAR.” -NB, GMA News