Super Typhoon Pepito makes landfall in Catanduanes
MANILA, Philippines – Super Typhoon Pepito (Man-yi) made landfall in Panganiban, Catanduanes, at 9:40 pm on Saturday, November 16, bringing violent winds and intense to torrential rain.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in a bulletin past 11 pm that the super typhoon is moving west northwest at a slightly faster 25 kilometers per hour from its previous speed of 20 km/h.
It continues to have maximum sustained winds of 195 km/h, but its gustiness is now up to 325 km/h from 240 km/h.
Here is the updated list of areas where tropical cyclone wind signals are in effect, as of 11 pm on Saturday:
Signal No. 5
Typhoon-force winds (185 km/h), extreme threat to life and property
- Catanduanes
- northeastern part of Camarines Sur (Caramoan, Garchitorena, Lagonoy, Presentacion)
Signal No. 4
Typhoon-force winds (118 to 184 km/h), significant to severe threat to life and property
- northeastern part of Albay (Tabaco City, Tiwi, Malinao, Malilipot, Bacacay, Rapu-Rapu)
- eastern part of Camarines Sur (Siruma, Tinambac, Goa, San Jose, Tigaon, Sagñay, Calabanga)
- Camarines Norte
- Polillo Islands
Signal No. 3
Storm-force winds (89 to 117 km/h), moderate to significant threat to life and property
- northern part of Sorsogon (Prieto Diaz, Sorsogon City, Gubat, Barcelona, Castilla, Casiguran, Pilar, Donsol)
- rest of Albay
- rest of Camarines Sur
- northeastern part of Quezon (Calauag, Guinayangan, Tagkawayan, Buenavista, Lopez, Quezon, Perez, Alabat, Gumaca, Plaridel, Atimonan, Real, General Nakar, Infanta, Mauban, Sampaloc)
- eastern part of Laguna (Santa Maria, Famy, Mabitac, Pakil, Pangil, Siniloan, Paete, Kalayaan, Lumban, Cavinti)
- eastern and central parts of Rizal (Pililla, Tanay, Antipolo City, Rodriguez, Baras, San Mateo, Morong, Teresa)
- Aurora
- northern and eastern parts of Bulacan (Norzagaray, San Miguel, San Ildefonso, San Rafael, Doña Remedios Trinidad, Angat, San Jose del Monte City)
- northeastern part of Pampanga (Candaba, Arayat, Magalang)
- eastern part of Tarlac (Concepcion, La Paz, Victoria, Tarlac City, Pura, Ramos, Anao, San Manuel, Moncada, Gerona, Paniqui)
- Nueva Ecija
- eastern part of Pangasinan (Umingan, Balungao, San Quintin, Natividad, Rosales, Santa Maria, Tayug, San Nicolas)
- Nueva Vizcaya
- Quirino
- southernmost part of Isabela (San Agustin, Jones)
Signal No. 2
Gale-force winds (62 to 88 km/h), minor to moderate threat to life and property
- rest of Sorsogon
- Ticao Island
- Burias Island
- Marinduque
- rest of Quezon
- rest of Laguna
- rest of Rizal
- Cavite
- northern part of Batangas (Tanauan City, Santo Tomas, Talisay, Lipa City, Malvar, Balete, Mataasnakahoy, Laurel, Padre Garcia)
- Metro Manila
- Bataan
- Zambales
- rest of Tarlac
- rest of Pampanga
- rest of Bulacan
- Kalinga
- Abra
- Mountain Province
- Ifugao
- Benguet
- southern part of Apayao (Conner)
- Ilocos Sur
- La Union
- rest of Pangasinan
- rest of Isabela
- southwestern part of Cagayan (Enrile, Tuao, Solana, Tuguegarao City, Piat)
- Northern Samar
- northern part of Samar (Matuguinao, Calbayog City, Santa Margarita, San Jorge, San Jose de Buan, Gandara)
- northern part of Eastern Samar (Dolores, Maslog, Jipapad, Arteche, Oras, San Policarpo)
Signal No. 1
Strong winds (39 to 61 km/h), minimal to minor threat to life and property
- rest of Masbate
- Romblon
- rest of Batangas
- 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)
- rest of Apayao
- Ilocos Norte
- northern and central parts of Oriental Mindoro (Puerto Galera, San Teodoro, Naujan, Baco, Victoria, Socorro, Pinamalayan, Bansud, Gloria, Pola, Calapan City, Bongabong, Roxas, Mansalay)
- northern and central parts of Occidental Mindoro (Sablayan, Santa Cruz, Mamburao, Abra de Ilog, Paluan) including Lubang Islands
- central part of Samar (Santa Rita, Villareal, Zumarraga, Pinabacdao, Almagro, Talalora, Santo Niño, Calbiga, Daram, Basey, Tagapul-an, San Sebastian, Jiabong, Catbalogan City, Motiong, Paranas, Hinabangan, Pagsanghan, Tarangnan)
- central part of Eastern Samar (Can-avid, Borongan City, Taft, Maydolong, Balangkayan, Sulat, San Julian)
- Biliran
- northern part of Leyte (Tunga, Pastrana, San Miguel, Palo, Calubian, Leyte, Carigara, Babatngon, Jaro, San Isidro, Santa Fe, Villaba, Capoocan, Alangalang, Tabango, Tacloban City, Kananga, Barugo)
- northernmost part of Cebu (Daanbantayan, Medellin) including Bantayan Islands
- northernmost part of Iloilo (Carles)
More provinces will be seeing intense to torrential rain in the next 24 hours, based on the weather bureau’s latest rainfall advisory, also released at 11 pm on Saturday. Floods and landslides are expected.
Saturday evening, November 16, to Sunday evening, November 17
- Intense to torrential rain (more than 200 millimeters): Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Quezon, Aurora, Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan
- Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): La Union, Tarlac, Bulacan, Pampanga, Zambales, Rizal, Albay, Sorsogon, Bataan
- Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Northern Samar, Masbate, Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Marinduque, Batangas, Cagayan, Isabela, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Kalinga, Abra, Ilocos Sur
Sunday evening, November 17, to Monday evening, November 18
- Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Benguet, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, La Union, Pangasinan
- Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Isabela, Abra, Aurora, Zambales, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ilocos Sur, Quirino, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac
In addition, there is a high risk of “life-threatening” storm surges “with peak surge heights exceeding 3 meters” in the Ilocos Region (western coast), Isabela, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Marinduque, Bicol, Northern Samar, Samar, and Eastern Samar within 48 hours. View the map below, and check the list of specific cities and municipalities here.
After making landfall in Catanduanes, Pepito is projected to keep moving west northwest over the waters north of Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur until early Sunday morning, November 17. PAGASA is not ruling out landfall in Camarines Norte’s Calaguas Islands as well.
Then the super typhoon may pass close to or over Quezon’s Polillo Islands between Sunday morning and noon, before making another landfall in northern Quezon or central or southern Aurora on Sunday afternoon.
“Afterwards, Pepito will cross the northern portion of Central Luzon and the southern portion of Northern Luzon along the upland areas of [the] Sierra Madre, Caraballo, and Cordillera Central [mountain ranges] between [Sunday] afternoon and evening,” PAGASA said.
Pepito is expected to exit landmass and emerge over the coastal waters of Pangasinan or La Union late Sunday evening or early Monday morning, November 18, then head for the West Philippine Sea and finally leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Monday morning or afternoon.
In terms of intensity, Pepito will either remain a super typhoon or be downgraded to a typhoon once it is over Aurora. “Significant weakening” remains possible when it crosses mainland Luzon on Sunday, but it is likely to maintain typhoon strength, which means it would still be a powerful tropical cyclone.
For sea conditions on Sunday, PAGASA maintained the following outlook:
Up to very rough, high, or very high seas (travel is risky for all vessels)
- Northern and eastern seaboards of Catanduanes – waves up to 14 meters high
- Northern seaboard of Camarines Norte; seaboards of Camarines Norte and Aurora – waves up to 12 meters high
- Northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands – waves up to 10 meters high
- Seaboard of northern Quezon; northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Samar – waves up to 9 meters high
- Seaboard of Isabela; remaining seaboard of Catanduanes; eastern seaboards of Camarines Sur, Albay, and Sorsogon – waves up to 7 meters high
- Eastern seaboards of mainland Cagayan and Eastern Samar – waves up to 5 meters high
Up to rough seas (small vessels should not venture out to sea)
- Eastern seaboard of Quezon including the rest of Polillo Islands – waves up to 4 meters high
- Seaboards of Batanes and Babuyan Islands – waves up to 3.5 meters high
- Seaboards of Pangasinan, La Union, Marinduque, and Romblon; remaining seaboards of Quezon, Northern Samar, and Bicol; eastern seaboard of Oriental Mindoro – waves up to 3 meters high
Up to moderate seas (small vessels should take precautionary measures or avoid sailing, if possible)
- Seaboards of Zambales; western seaboard of Bataan; eastern seaboard of Dinagat Islands; remaining seaboard of Ilocos Region – waves up to 2.5 meters high
- Seaboards of Metro Manila, Aklan, Antique, Samar, Biliran, northeastern Iloilo, northern Negros Occidental, and northern Cebu including Bantayan Islands; northern and eastern seaboards of Leyte; eastern seaboards of Southern Leyte, Surigao del Sur, and Davao Oriental; northern and western seaboards of Dinagat Islands; remaining seaboards of Bataan and Calabarzon; northern seaboards of Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Islands and Oriental Mindoro – waves up to 2 meters high
ALSO ON RAPPLER
- Judge completes CHR leadership
- UN climate chief asks G20 leaders for boost as finance talks lag
- Paul beats Tyson as former heavyweight champ can’t turn back clock
- Creamline wrecks Petro Gazz as Alyssa Valdez returns; Cignal routs shorthanded Farm Fresh
Pepito is the Philippines’ 16th tropical cyclone for 2024. It is also the fourth tropical cyclone for November alone, after Marce (Yinxing), Nika (Toraji), and Ofel (Usagi).
Ofel, briefly a super typhoon at its peak, became a remnant low pressure area (LPA) over southern Taiwan on Saturday evening, and may dissipate within 12 hours, or by Sunday morning. Taiwan is within PAR.
The LPA that used to be Ofel was located 220 kilometers northwest of Itbayat, Batanes, as of 10 pm on Saturday.
Ofel had made landfall in Baggao, Cagayan, last Thursday, November 14, and battered Northern Luzon.
Counting from October 21 to present — starting with Kristine (Trami) and Leon (Kong-rey) — Pepito is already the country’s sixth tropical cyclone in less than a month. – Rappler.com