Pepito now a super typhoon; Signal No. 4 up over 2 Bicol areas

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 4 was raised over Catanduanes and part of northeastern Camarines Sur as tropical cyclone Pepito (international name: Man-yi) intensified into a super typhoon on Saturday, threatening the Bicol region, weather service PAGASA said.

In its 11 a.m. bulletin, PAGASA reported that the center of the eye of Super Typhoon Pepito was estimated at 185 kms east of Catarman, Northern Samar or 250 kms east of Juban, Sorsogon.

Moving west northwestward at 25 kph, it has maximum sustained winds of 185 kph near the center, gustiness of up to 230 kph, and central pressure of 925 hPa.

Also, strong to typhoon-force winds were expected to extend outwards up to 440 kms from the center.

TCWS No. 4 was raised over the following areas:

• Catanduanes
• northeastern portion of Camarines Sur (Garchitorena, Presentacion, Caramoan, Lagonoy, San Jose)

TCWS No. 4 has typhoon-force winds with speed of 118 to 184 kph, posing significant to severe threats to life and property.

Meanwhile, TCWS No. 3 was raised over the following areas:

Luzon

• eastern portion of Camarines Norte (Vinzons, Talisay, Mercedes, Daet, Basud, San Vicente, San Lorenzo Ruiz)
• northern and southeastern portion of Camarines Sur (Sagñay, Tigaon, Goa, Tinambac, Siruma, Buhi, Ocampo, Iriga City, Sipocot, Pili, Cabusao, Calabanga, Bombon, Magarao, Canaman, Naga City, Camaligan)
• eastern portion of Albay (City of Tabaco, Malilipot, Tiwi, Malinao, Santo Domingo, Manito, Legazpi City, Bacacay, Rapu-Rapu)
• northeastern portion of Sorsogon  (Prieto Diaz, City of Sorsogon, Gubat)

Visayas

• eastern portion of Northern Samar (Palapag, Laoang, Mapanas, Gamay, Lapinig, Catubig, Pambujan)
• northern portion of Eastern Samar (San Policarpo, Arteche, Oras, Jipapad)

Storm-force winds in these areas carried speeds of 89 to 117 kph, posing moderate to significant threats to life and property.

TCWS No. 2, which has gale-force winds of 62 to 88 kph with minor to moderate threats to life and property, was hoisted over the following areas:

Luzon

• southeastern portion of Isabela (Dinapigue)
• Aurora
• Quezon
• eastern portion of Rizal (Tanay, Pililla, Jala-Jala)
• Laguna
• rest of Camarines Norte
• rest of Camarines Sur
• rest of Albay
• rest of Sorsogon
• Burias Island
• Ticao Island

Visayas

• central portion of Eastern Samar (Dolores, Maslog, Can-Avid, Taft, Sulat, San Julian, City of Borongan)
• northern portion of Samar (Matuguinao, Calbayog City, Santa Margarita, San Jorge, San Jose de Buan, Tarangnan, Motiong, Gandara, Jiabong, City of Catbalogan, Paranas, Hinabangan, San Sebastian, Pagsanghan)
• rest of Northern Samar

TCWS No. 1, with strong winds having speeds of 39 to 61 kph posing minimal to minor threats to life and property, is in effect over the following areas:

Luzon

• Mainland Cagayan
• rest of Isabela
• Quirino
• Nueva Vizcaya
• Apayao
• Kalinga
• Abra
• Mountain Province
• Ifugao
• Benguet
• Ilocos Norte
• Ilocos Sur
• La Union
• Pangasinan
• Nueva Ecija
• Bulacan
• Tarlac
• Pampanga
• Zambales
• Bataan
• Metro Manila
• rest of Rizal
• Cavite
• Batangas
• Marinduque
• northern portion of Oriental Mindoro (Puerto Galera, San Teodoro, Naujan, Baco, Victoria, Socorro, Pinamalayan, Bansud, Gloria, Pola, City of Calapan)
• Romblon
• rest of Masbate

Visayas

• rest of Eastern Samar
• rest of Samar
• Biliran
• northern and central portions of Leyte (Tunga, Pastrana, San Miguel, Matag-Ob, Tolosa, Palo, Calubian, Leyte, Mayorga, Julita, Carigara, Babatngon, Dagami, Jaro, San Isidro, Santa Fe, Albuera, Villaba, La Paz, Palompon, Macarthur, Tabontabon, Tanauan, Merida, Ormoc City, Isabel, Dulag, Capoocan, Alangalang, Burauen, Tabango, Tacloban City, Kananga, Barugo, Abuyog, Javier, City of Baybay, Mahaplag)
• northeastern portion of Southern Leyte (Silago)
• northernmost portion of Cebu (Daanbantayan, Medellin) including Bantayan Islands
• northernmost portion of Iloilo (Carles)

Mindanao

• Northern portion of Dinagat Islands (Loreto, Tubajon)

PAGASA said the highest Wind Signal which may be hoisted during the occurrence of Pepito is TCWS No. 5.

Heavy rainfall outlook

Due to Super Typhoon Pepito, intense to torrential (> 200 mm) rains will be experienced on Saturday up to Sunday noon over the following areas: Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, and Camarines Norte.

Further, heavy to intense (100 - 200 mm) rains were expected over Albay, Quezon, Northern Samar and Eastern Samar.

Moderate to heavy (50 - 100 mm) rains will be over Sorsogon, Samar, Leyte, Biliran, and Masbate.

Coastal Inundation

PAGASA warned of a high risk of life-threatening storm surge with peak heights exceeding 3.0 meters in the next 48 hours over the low-lying or exposed coastal localities of Ilocos Region (western coast), Isabela, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, CALABARZON, Marinduque, Bicol Region, Northern Samar, Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran, and Leyte (northeastern coast).

Hazards on coastal waters

Further, a gale warning was raised over the eastern and southern seaboards of Southern Luzon and the eastern seabooad of Visayas.

24-Hour Sea Condition Outlook

PAGASA warned that up to very rough, high, or very high seas will be over the following coastal waters:

• Up to 14.0 m: The seaboard of Catanduanes
• Up to 12.0 m: The northern seaboard of Camarines Sur
• Up to 9.0 m: The northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Samar; the seaboard of Camarines Norte
• Up to 7.0 m: The eastern seaboards of Albay, Sorsogon, and Eastern Samar
• Up to 5.5 m: The remaining seaboards of Camarines Sur
• Up to 4.5 m: The northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands; the seaboards of Aurora; the remaining seaboards of Albay, Sorsogon, and Northern Samar; the seaboards of Burias and Ticao Islands

Sea travel will be risky for all types or tonnage of vessels, and that all mariners must remain in port or, if underway, seek shelter or safe harbor as soon as possible until winds and waves subside, PAGASA said.

Meanwhile, up to rough seas will be over the following coastal waters:

• Up to 4.0 m: The seaboards of Dinagat Islands and northern Quezon.
• Up to 3.5 m: The seaboards of Isabela and Surigao del Norte including Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands; the remaining seaboards of Polillo Islands and Quezon, Bicol Region, and Eastern Visayas
• Up to 3.0 m: The eastern seaboards of Cagayan and Babuyan Islands; the seaboard of Surigao del Sur; the seaboards of Marinduque, Romblon, and northern Cebu

Mariners of small seacrafts, including all types of motor bancas, are advised not to venture out to sea under these conditions, especially if inexperienced or operating ill-equipped vessels.

Up to moderate seas over the following coastal waters:

• Up to 2.5 m: The seaboards of Batanes and Davao Oriental
• Up to 2.0 m: The seaboards of Oriental Mindoro, Aklan, Capiz, Davao del Sur, and Ilocos Region

Mariners of motor bancas and similarly-sized vessels are thus advised to take precautionary measures while venturing out to sea and, if possible, avoid navigation under these conditions.

To exit PAR on Monday

PAGASA said Pepito was forecast to move generally west northwestward within the next three days before turning generally westward to west southwestward from Monday afternoon, Nov. 18, to Thursday early morning, Nov. 20.

Based on the track forecast, Pepito is more likely to make landfall in the vicinity of Catanduanes on Saturday night, Nov. 16, or Sunday early morning, Nov. 17.

However, the state weather bureau said that based on the limits of the forecast confidence cone, a landfall scenario over the eastern coast of Camarines Sur or Albay during the same time frame (if it moves slightly south of forecast track), or along the eastern coast of Quezon or Aurora on Sunday afternoon or evening remains, if it moves slightly north of forecast track, is not ruled out.

Pepito is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Monday.

Regardless of the landfall point, PAGASA said, Pepito will move generally west northwestward over the weekend and pass over or near the landmass of Bicol Region, Quezon, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Benguet, and La Union before emerging over the West Philippine Sea Sunday evening or Monday morning.

"PEPITO is approaching its peak intensity. With radar imagery showing signs of eyewall replacement, the intensity of PEPITO may begin to maintain or slightly decrease in the next coming hours. However, if the eyewall replacement finishes prior to its passage over Catanduanes, the super typhoon will resume intensifying," PAGASA said.

"Nevertheless, PEPITO will likely make landfall over Catanduanes as a super typhoon at or near peak intensity, and as a super typhoon or typhoon over the Quezon-Aurora area," it added.

PAGASA said significant weakening will occur during the passage of Pepito over mainland Luzon on Sunday, but it will likely remain as a typhoon until it reaches the West Philippine Sea.

Effects

Classes were suspended in some areas on Saturday due to the threat of Pepito.

Some flights for Saturday, Nov. 16, were also canceled due to the bad weather.

Meanwhile, the Catanduanes power grid will implement a total shutdown on Saturday, November 16, on or before 2 p.m., in preparation for the threat of Super Typhoon Pepito.

The Philippine Coast Guard said more than 3,000 individuals were stranded in ports on Saturday morning as sea travel was canceled in many areas due to the threat of Pepito.

The PCG said that from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. on Saturday, 3,217 persons were stranded in 45 ports in Southern Tagalog, Eastern Visayas and Bicol.

Two vessels and 1,217 rolling cargoes were also stranded in the same ports.

Meanwhile, 198 vessels and 156 motor bancas took shelter in the same areas, the PCG said.

Several dioceses nationwide have asked for prayers and vigilance from the public amid Pepito, according to a news release by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.

The local government of Naga City has imposed a curfew effective noon Saturday, Nov. 16, for the protection of residents as Super Typhoon Pepito continued to move closer to Bicol. — VDV/KG, GMA Integrated News