Pepito over Quirino after landfall near Dipaculao, Aurora; Signal No. 5 in 3 areas

Super Typhoon Pepito is now over Quirino Province after it made its second landfall in the vicinity of Dipaculao, Aurora, PAGASA said Sunday afternoon.

According to the state weather bureau's 5 p.m. tropical cyclone bulletin, Pepito made landfall at 3:20 p.m.

It has maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 305 kph, and moving northwestward at 25 kph.

The following areas under Signal No. 5 are expected to experience winds of 185 kph or higher in at least 12 hours, which may cause extreme threat to life and property:

• The central portion of Aurora (Dipaculao, Baler, Dinalungan, Maria Aurora, Casiguran, San Luis)
• the southern portion of Quirino (Nagtipunan)
• the southern portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Alfonso Castañeda, Dupax del Norte, Dupax del Sur, Kasibu, Aritao, Bambang)

Signal No. 4 was hoisted over the following areas:

• the rest of Aurora
• the rest of Nueva Vizcaya
• the rest of Quirino
• the southern portion of Ifugao (Kiangan, Lamut, Tinoc, Asipulo, Lagawe)
• Benguet
• the southern portion of Ilocos Sur (Alilem, Sugpon, Suyo, Santa Cruz, Tagudin)
• La Union
• the eastern portion of Pangasinan (Sison, Tayug, Binalonan, San Manuel, Asingan, San Quintin, Santa Maria, Natividad, San Nicolas, Balungao, Pozorrubio, Laoac, San Jacinto, San Fabian, Manaoag, City of Urdaneta, Rosales, Umingan, Mangaldan, Mapandan, Villasis, Santo Tomas)
• the northern portion of Nueva Ecija (Gabaldon, Laur, Bongabon, Pantabangan, Rizal, General Mamerto Natividad, Lupao, San Jose City, Llanera, Carranglan, Science City of Muñoz, Talugtug, Cuyapo)

The following areas are under Signal No. 3:

• the southern portion of Isabela (San Agustin, Jones, Echague, San Guillermo, Angadanan, Alicia, San Mateo, Ramon, San Isidro, City of Santiago, Cordon, Dinapigue, Roxas, Aurora, Cabatuan, City of Cauayan, Luna, San Mariano, Benito Soliven, Naguilian, Reina Mercedes, San Manuel, Burgos), the rest of Ifugao, Mountain Province, the southern portion of Kalinga (Pasil, Tanudan, Lubuagan, Tinglayan)
• the southern portion of Abra (Tubo, Luba, Pilar, Villaviciosa, San Isidro, Pidigan, Langiden, San Quintin, Bangued, Manabo, Boliney, Peñarrubia, Bucloc, Sallapadan, Bucay)
• the rest of Ilocos Sur
• the rest of Pangasinan
• the northern and eastern portions of Tarlac (Paniqui, La Paz, Moncada, City of Tarlac, Gerona, Pura, San Clemente, Santa Ignacia, Victoria, Camiling, Concepcion, Ramos, San Manuel, Anao)
• the rest of Nueva Ecija
• the northern portion of Bulacan (Doña Remedios Trinidad, San Miguel)
• the northern portion of Quezon (Infanta, General Nakar) including Polillo Islands

Signal No. 2 was raised over the following areas:

• the rest of Isabela
• the southwestern portion of mainland Cagayan (Enrile, Tuao, Solana, Tuguegarao City, Piat, Rizal)
• the rest of Kalinga
• the southern portion of Apayao (Conner, Kabugao)
• the rest of Abra
• Ilocos Norte
• Zambales
• the rest of Tarlac
• the northern portion of Bataan (Orani, Abucay, Hermosa, Samal, Dinalupihan)
• Pampanga
• the rest of Bulacan
• Metro Manila
• Rizal
• the northeastern portion of Laguna (Santa Cruz, Pila, Mabitac, Paete, Pagsanjan, Pangil, Santa Maria, Siniloan, Cavinti, Kalayaan, Lumban, Pakil, Famy)
• the central portion of Quezon (Sampaloc, Mauban, Perez, Real)

Signal No. 1 is up in the following areas:

• the rest of mainland Cagayan
• the rest of Apayao
• the rest of Bataan
• Cavite
• the rest of Laguna
• Batangas
• the rest of Quezon
• the northern portion of Occidental Mindoro (Abra de Ilog, Paluan) including Lubang Islands
• the northern portion of Oriental Mindoro (Puerto Galera, San Teodoro, Naujan, Baco, City of Calapan)
• Marinduque
• Camarines Norte
• the northern portion of Camarines Sur (Libmanan, Tinambac, Siruma, Cabusao, Canaman, Magarao, Calabanga, Bombon, Sipocot, Ragay, Del Gallego, Lupi, Lagonoy, Goa, Garchitorena, Pasacao, Pamplona, Camaligan, Gainza)

After its second landfall, PAGASA said Pepito will cross the northern portion of Central Luzon and the southern portion of Northern Luzon via the upland regions of the Sierra Madre, Caraballo, and Cordillera Central between this afternoon and evening.

“Pepito is forecast to exit the landmass of Luzon tonight or tomorrow early morning (18 November). During this period, Pepito will significantly weaken due to land interaction,” PAGASA said

PAGASA is seen to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Monday morning or noon.

“Further weakening will also occur as Pepito moves over the West Philippine Sea due to the same surge creating unfavorable environment,” PAGASA said.

PAGASA said a Gale Warning is hoisted over the eastern seaboard of Luzon and the western seaboards of northern and central Luzon. 

Storm surge

A high risk of life-threatening storm surge with peak surge heights exceeding 3.0 meters may also occur in the next 48 hours in the low-lying or exposed coastal localities of  Ilocos Region (western coast), southeastern mainland Cagayan, Isabela, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Cavite, southeastern Batangas, and Quezon.

After its second landfall, PAGASA said Pepito will cross the northern portion of Central Luzon and the southern portion of Northern Luzon via the upland regions of the Sierra Madre, Caraballo, and Cordillera Central between this afternoon and evening.

“Pepito is forecast to exit the landmass of Luzon tonight or tomorrow early morning (18 November). During this period, Pepito will significantly weaken due to land interaction,” PAGASA said

PAGASA is seen to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Monday morning or noon.

“Further weakening will also occur as Pepito moves over the West Philippine Sea due to the same surge creating unfavorable environment,” PAGASA said.  — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BM, GMA Integrated News