2 areas under Signal No. 5 as Pepito moves west northwest

Two areas remained under Signal No. 5 as Pepito made landfall over Panganiban, Catanduanes on Saturday evening.

According to PAGASA’s 11 p.m. tropical cyclone bulletin, Catanduanes and the northeastern portion of Camarines Sur (Caramoan, Garchitorena, Lagonoy, Presentacion) will experience winds of 185 km/h or higher over the next 12 hours.

Pepito, which slammed into Panganiban town at 9:40 p.m., has maximum sustained winds of 195 km/h and gustiness of up to 325 km/h, moving west northwestward at 25 km/h.

The following areas are under Signal No. 4:

·       The northeastern portion of Albay (City of Tabaco, Tiwi, Malinao, Malilipot, Bacacay, Rapu-Rapu)

·       The eastern portion of Camarines Sur (Siruma, Tinambac, Goa, San Jose, Tigaon, Sagñay, Calabanga)

·       Camarines Norte

·       Pollilo Islands

Under Signal No. 3 are the following areas:

·       The northern portion of Sorsogon (Prieto Diaz, City of Sorsogon, Gubat, Barcelona, Castilla, Casiguran, Pilar, Donsol)

·       The rest of Albay

·       The rest of Camarines Sur

·       The northeastern portion of Quezon (Calauag, Guinayangan, Tagkawayan, Buenavista, Lopez, Quezon, Perez, Alabat, Gumaca, Plaridel, Atimonan, Real, General Nakar, Infanta, Mauban, Sampaloc)

·       The eastern portion of Laguna (Santa Maria, Famy, Mabitac, Pakil, Pangil, Siniloan, Paete, Kalayaan, Lumban, Cavinti)

·       The eastern and central portions of Rizal (Pililla, Tanay, City of Antipolo, Rodriguez, Baras, San Mateo, Morong, Teresa)

·       Aurora

·       The northern and eastern portions of Bulacan (Norzagaray, San Miguel, San Ildefonso, San Rafael, Doña Remedios Trinidad, Angat, City of San Jose del Monte)

·       The northeastern portion of Pampanga (Candaba, Arayat, Magalang)

·       The eastern portion of Tarlac (Concepcion, La Paz, Victoria, City of Tarlac, Pura, Ramos, Anao, San Manuel, Moncada, Gerona, Paniqui)

·       Nueva Ecija

·       The eastern portion of Pangasinan (Umingan, Balungao, San Quintin, Natividad, Rosales, Santa Maria, Tayug, San Nicolas)

·       Nueva Vizcaya

·       Quirino

·       The southernmost portion of Isabela (San Agustin, Jones)

Signal No. 2 was raised over these areas:

·       The rest of Sorsogon

·       Ticao Island

·       Burias Island

·       Marinduque

·       The rest of Quezon

·       The rest of Laguna

·       The rest of Rizal

·       Cavite

·       The northern portion of Batangas (City of Tanauan, Santo Tomas, Talisay, Lipa City, Malvar, Balete, Mataasnakahoy, Laurel, Padre Garcia)

·       Metro Manila

·       Bataan

·       Zambales

·       The rest of Tarlac

·       The rest of Pampanga

·       The rest of Bulacan

·       Kalinga

·       Abra

·       Mountain Province

·       Ifugao

·       Benguet

·       The southern portion of Apayao (Conner)

·       Ilocos Sur

·       La Union

·       The rest of Pangasinan

·       The rest of Isabela

·       The southwestern portion of Cagayan (Enrile, Tuao, Solana, Tuguegarao City, Piat)

·       Northern Samar

·       The northern portion of Samar (Matuguinao, Calbayog City, Santa Margarita, San Jorge, San Jose de Buan, Gandara)

·       The northern portion of Eastern Samar (Dolores, Maslog, Jipapad, Arteche, Oras, San Policarpo)

Under Signal No. 1 are the following:

·       The rest of Masbate

·       Romblon

·       The rest of Batangas

The rest of mainland Cagayan (Peñablanca, Iguig, Santo Niño, Lasam, Gattaran, Baggao, Amulung, Alcala, Lal-Lo, Allacapan, Santa Ana, Gonzaga, Santa Teresita, Buguey, Camalaniugan, Aparri, Ballesteros, Abulug, Pamplona, Claveria, Sanchez-Mira, Santa Praxedes, Rizal)

·       The rest of Apayao

·       Ilocos Norte

·       The northern and central portions of Oriental Mindoro (Puerto Galera, San Teodoro, Naujan, Baco, Victoria, Socorro, Pinamalayan, Bansud, Gloria, Pola, City of Calapan, Bongabong, Roxas, Mansalay)

·       The northern and central portions of Occidental Mindoro (Sablayan, Santa Cruz, Mamburao, Abra de Ilog, Paluan) including Lubang Islands

·       The central portion of Samar (Santa Rita, Villareal, Zumarraga, Pinabacdao, Almagro, Talalora, Santo Niño, Calbiga, Daram, Basey, Tagapul-An, San Sebastian, Jiabong, City of Catbalogan, Motiong, Paranas, Hinabangan, Pagsanghan, Tarangnan)

·       The central portion of Eastern Samar (Can-Avid, City of Borongan, Taft, Maydolong, Balangkayan, Sulat, San Julian)

·       Biliran

·       The northern portion of Leyte (Tunga, Pastrana, San Miguel, Palo, Calubian, Leyte, Carigara, Babatngon, Jaro, San Isidro, Santa Fe, Villaba, Capoocan, Alangalang, Tabango, Tacloban City, Kananga, Barugo)

·       The northernmost portion of Cebu (Daanbantayan, Medellin) including Bantayan Islands

·       The northernmost portion of Iloilo (Carles)

A gale warning remains active over the eastern and southern seaboards of Luzon and the eastern seaboard of Visayas while there is a high risk of life-threatening storm surge reaching 3.0 meters over the next 48 hours over the Ilocos Region (western coast), Isabela, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, CALABARZON, Marinduque, Bicol Region, Northern Samar, Samar, and Eastern Samar.

Another landfall may occur over Calaguas Islands between Sunday morning and noon, and northern Quezon or central or southern Aurora between Sunday noon and afternoon.

''Afterwards, Pepito will cross the northern portion of Central Luzon and the southern portion of Northern Luzon along the upland areas of Sierra Madre, Caraballo, and Cordillera Central between tomorrow afternoon and evening. Pepito will emerge over the coastal waters of Pangasinan or La Union tomorrow late evening or on Monday (November 18) early morning,'' PAGASA said.

Pepito will remain a super typhoon or slightly weaken into a typhoon over Aurora, and likely remain as a typhoon throughout the rest of the forecast period.

It is predicted to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Monday morning or afternoon.

“It must be emphasized that heavy rainfall, severe winds, and storm surge may still be experienced in localities outside the landfall point and the forecast confidence cone,” PAGASA warned.

The state weather bureau also advised the public and authorities-in-charge to take all necessary precautions to ensure the protection of life and property.

Ofel

Meanwhile, Ofel has weakened into a low pressure area over Southern Taiwan with no direct effect on the Philippines.

At 10 p.m., the LPA was seen 220 kilometers northwest of Itbayat, Batanes, moving west northwestward slowly.

Ofel is expected to dissipate within the next 12 hours. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/VBL, GMA Integrated News