Signal No. 5 up over part of Polillo Islands as Pepito moves over sea east of Bicol

Part of Polillo Islands was placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 5 on Sunday morning as Super Typhoon Pepito (international name: Man-Yi) moves closer while traversing the sea east of Bicol Region, PAGASA said.

TCWS No. 5 was raised over the eastern portion of Polillo Islands (Patnanungan, Jomalig) and Calaguas Islands, the weather bureau said in its 5 a.m. bulletin.

These areas will have typhoon-force winds with speeds of 185 km/h or higher in 12 hours, posting extreme threat to life and property.

TCWS No. 4 was hoisted over the following areas:

• the northeastern portion of Camarines Sur (Goa, San Jose, Tinambac, Siruma, Lagonoy, Presentacion, Caramoan, Garchitorena);
• the rest of Camarines Norte;
• the northern and western portions of Catanduanes (Pandan, Bagamanoc, Panganiban, Viga, Caramoran, San Andres);
• the northern portion of mainland Quezon (General Nakar, Infanta);
• the rest of Polillo Islands;
• the central and southern portions of Aurora (Dingalan, San Luis, Maria Aurora, Baler, Dipaculao, Dinalungan);
• the eastern portion of Nueva Ecija (General Tinio, Gabaldon, Laur, Bongabon, Palayan City, Pantabangan, Rizal, General Mamerto Natividad);
• the southeastern portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Alfonso Castañeda); and
• the southern portion of Quirino (Nagtipunan).

Areas under TCWS No. 4 will have typhoon-force winds with speeds of 118 to 184 km/h in 12 hours which may pose significant to severe threat to life and property.

TCWS No. 3 meanwhile is in effect over:

• the rest of Camarines Sur;
• the rest of Catanduanes;
• the northeastern portion of Albay (Santo Domingo, Polangui, Bacacay, Malilipot, City of Tabaco, Malinao, Rapu-Rapu, Tiwi);
• the eastern portion of Quezon (Calauag, Guinayangan, Tagkawayan, Buenavista, Lopez, Quezon, Perez, Alabat, Gumaca, Plaridel, Atimonan, Mauban, Sampaloc, Real);
• 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);
• the rest of Aurora;
• the eastern and central portions of Bulacan (Norzagaray, San Miguel, San Ildefonso, San Rafael, Doña Remedios Trinidad, Angat, City of San Jose del Monte, Santa Maria, Pandi, Baliuag, Bustos, Pulilan, Plaridel);
• the northeastern portion of Pampanga (Candaba, Arayat, Magalang, San Luis, San Simon, Mexico, Santa Ana, Apalit, Santo Tomas, City of San Fernando, Mabalacat City, Angeles City);
• the rest of Nueva Ecija;
• Tarlac;
• the northern portion of Zambales (Santa Cruz, Candelaria, Masinloc, Palauig);
• the rest of Nueva Vizcaya;
• the rest of Quirino;
• the southern portion of Isabela (San Agustin, Jones, Echague, San Guillermo, Angadanan, Alicia, San Mateo, Ramon, San Isidro, City of Santiago, Cordon);
• the central and southern portions of Ilocos Sur (Alilem, Sugpon, Cervantes, Suyo, Tagudin, Narvacan, Quirino, Sigay, Gregorio del Pilar, San Emilio, Santa Cruz, Salcedo, Banayoyo, City of Candon, Galimuyod, Santa Lucia, Lidlidda, Santa Maria, Burgos, Santiago, San Esteban, Nagbukel);
• La Union;
• Pangasinan;
• Benguet;
• Ifugao;
• the western portion of Mountain Province (Sabangan, Bauko, Tadian, Bontoc, Sagada, Besao, Sadanga, Barlig); and
• the southern portion of Abra (Tubo, Luba, Pilar, Villaviciosa, San Isidro).

The above-mentioned areas under TCWS No. 3 may expect storm-force winds with speeds of 89 to 117 km/h in 18 hours, which may pose moderate to significant threat to life and property.

Meanwhile, TCWS No. 2 was hoisted over:

• Sorsogon;
• the rest of Albay;
• Ticao Island;
• Burias Island;
• the northern portion of Marinduque (Santa Cruz, Boac, Mogpog, Torrijos);
• 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, San Juan, Rosario);
• Metro Manila;
• Bataan;
• the rest of Pampanga;
• the rest of Bulacan;
• the rest of Zambales;
• the southwestern portion of Cagayan (Enrile, Tuao, Solana, Tuguegarao City, Piat, Rizal);
• the rest of Isabela;
• the rest of Abra;
• the southern portion of Apayao (Conner, Kabugao);
• Kalinga;
• the rest of Mountain Province;
• the rest of Ilocos Sur; and
• the southern portion of Ilocos Norte (Pinili, City of Batac, Banna, Nueva Era, Badoc, Currimao, Marcos, Solsona, Dingras, Sarrat, Paoay, Laoag City, San Nicolas).

Areas under TCWS No. 2 will have gale-force winds with speeds of 62 to 88 km/h in 24 hours, which may pose minor to moderate threat to life and property.

TCWS No. 1 on the other hand is in effect over:

• the rest of Masbate;
• the rest of Marinduque;
• the northern portion of Romblon (Cajidiocan, San Fernando, Magdiwang, Romblon, Banton, Corcuera, Santa Maria, Concepcion, Odiongan, San Andres, Calatrava, San Agustin);
• the northern and central portions of Oriental Mindoro (Puerto Galera, San Teodoro, Naujan, Baco, Victoria, Socorro, Pinamalayan, Bansud, Gloria, Pola, City of Calapan, Bongabong);
• the northern and central portions of Occidental Mindoro (Sablayan, Santa Cruz, Mamburao, Abra de Ilog, Paluan) including Lubang Islands;
• the rest of Batangas;
• the rest of mainland Cagayan;
• the rest of Apayao;
• the rest of Ilocos Norte
• Northern Samar;
• the northern portion of Samar (San Jorge, Matuguinao, Almagro, Calbayog, Pagsanghan, Gandara, Santo Niño, Tagapul-An, San Jose de Buan, Santa Margarita, Tarangnan); and
• the northern portion of Eastern Samar (Maslog, San Policarpo, Dolores, Jipapad, Oras, Arteche).

Areas under TCWS No. 1 will experience strong winds with speeds of 39 to 61 km/h in 36 hours, which may pose minimal to minor threat to life and property.

Location

At 4 a.m., the center of the eye of Pepito was estimated to be located at 85 km northeast of Daet, Camarines Norte.

Pepito has maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 255 km/h, and central pressure of 925 hPa.

The super typhoon is moving west northwestward at 15 km/h.

From its center, strong to typhoon-force winds are extending outwards up to 300 km.

PAGASA said life-threatening conditions continue over the eastern section of Southern Luzon.

Rainfall

In its 5 a.m. heavy rainfall outlook, PAGASA said Pepito will bring intense to torrential rains measuring more than 200 mm over Quezon, Aurora, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino.

Meanwhile, heavy to intense rains (100-200 mm) are forecast over Catanduanes, Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Benguet, Pangasinan, Ifugao, La Union, Bulacan, and Rizal.

Moderate to heavy rains (50-100 mm) on the other hand may be expected over Albay, Sorsogon, Metro Manila, Bataan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Laguna, Cagayan, Mountain Province, Zambales, Kalinga, Abra and Ilocos Sur.

Storm surge

PAGASA warned of "a high risk of life-threatening storm surge with peak surge heights exceeding 3.0 m 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; and
• Eastern Samar.

Gale warning

The weather bureau also raised a gale warning over the eastern, western, and southern seaboards of Luzon and the eastern seaboard of Visayas.

Coastal waters

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

• Up to 14.0 m: The northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands; the seaboard of Aurora

• Up to 12.0 m: The seaboard of Camarines Norte

• Up to 10.0 m: The northern and eastern seaboards of Catanduanes; the northern seaboard of Camarines Sur

• Up to 9.0 m: The seaboard of northern Quezon

• Up to 8.0 m: The seaboard of Isabela; the remaining seaboards of Polillo Islands and Catanduanes; the eastern seaboard of Camarines Sur

• Up to 5.0 m: The eastern seaboards of mainland Cagayan and Albay

• Up to 4.5 m: The seaboards of Sorsogon and Northern Samar; the eastern seaboard of Eastern Samar; the remaining seaboards of Camarines Sur, Albay, and Quezon; the seaboards of Ilocos Region, Masbate including Burias and Ticao Islands, and Marinduque

"Sea travel is risky for all types or tonnage of vessels. 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 are forecast over the following coastal waters:

• Up to 4.0 m: The seaboards of Batanes, northern Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, and Zambales

• Up to 3.0 m: The seaboards of Romblon; the remaining seaboards of Zambales; the eastern seaboard of Oriental Mindoro

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

Moderate seas meanwhile are forecast for the following coastal waters:

• Up to 2.5 m: The western seaboard of Bataan; the eastern seaboard of Dinagat Islands

• Up to 2.0 m: The seaboards of Metro Manila, Aklan, Antique, northeastern Iloilo, northern Negros Occidental, northern Cebu including Bantayan Islands, and Biliran; the northern and eastern seaboards of Leyte; the eastern seaboards of Southern Leyte, Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental; the northern and western seaboards of Dinagat Islands; the remaining seaboards of Bataan and CALABARZON; the northern seaboards of Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Islands and Oriental Mindoro.

"Mariners of motorbancas and similarly-sized vessels are advised to take precautionary measures while venturing out to sea and, if possible, avoid navigation under these conditions," PAGASA said.

As for the rest of the country, coastal waters will be slight to moderate.

Track, intensity outlook

Pepito is forecast to move west northwestward over the waters north of Camarines Provinces on Sunday morning, with a landfall or close approach over Calaguas Islands not ruled out.

From there, Pepito will pass close or over Polillo Islands by late Sunday morning, then make landfall over northern Quezon or central or southern Aurora between noon and afternoon.

Pepito will thereafter 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 Sunday afternoon and evening.

"PEPITO is forecast to slightly weaken as a typhoon over Aurora. Significant weakening will occur during the passage of tropical cyclone over mainland Luzon today, but it will likely remain as a typhoon throughout its passage over mainland Luzon," PAGASA said.

"The track may still shift within the limit of the forecast confidence cone," it added.

On Sunday night or Monday early morning, Pepito will emerge over the coastal waters of Pangasinan or La Union.

On Monday, Pepito will continue on a west northwestward track, then exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Monday morning or afternoon.

PAGASA advised the public and disaster risk reduction and management offices concerned to take all necessary measures to protect life and property.

The weather bureau will issue the next bulletin at 8 a.m.

Rest of the country

Meanwhile, the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms due to localized thunderstorms.

Flash floods or landslides may result during severe thunderstorms.

Sunrise was at 5:58 a.m. while sunset will be at 5:24 p.m.

Effects, preparations

Some flights for Sunday, Nov. 17, were canceled due to the bad weather caused by Pepito.

The Office of Civil Defense said it was preparing for a possible "worst-case scenario" amid the onslaught of Pepito.

Several local government units, such as those in Daet, Camarines Norte, and Quezon province, have implemented evacuations to minimize the impact of Pepito. —KG, GMA Integrated News