Super Typhoon Pepito triggers wind, rainfall warnings in much of Luzon
MANILA, Philippines – Super Typhoon Pepito (Man-yi) was still causing “life-threatening conditions” in the eastern portion of Southern Luzon before dawn on Sunday, November 17, as it moved offshore, the weather bureau said.
Pepito was last spotted 85 kilometers northeast of Daet, Camarines Norte, at 4 am on Sunday. It is moving west northwest at a slightly faster 15 kilometers per hour from just 10 km/h.
The super typhoon continues to have maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h, while its gustiness further eased to 255 km/h from 280 km/h.
At its peak, Pepito had maximum sustained winds of 195 km/h. During this time, it made landfall in Panganiban, Catanduanes, at 9:40 pm on Saturday, November 16, then moved over the sea again.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in a briefing past 5 am on Sunday that the following areas remain under tropical cyclone wind signals:
Signal No. 5
Typhoon-force winds (185 km/h), extreme threat to life and property
- eastern part of Polillo Islands (Patnanungan, Jomalig)
- Calaguas Islands
Signal No. 4
Typhoon-force winds (118 to 184 km/h), significant to severe threat to life and property
- northeastern part of Camarines Sur (Goa, San Jose, Tinambac, Siruma, Lagonoy, Presentacion, Caramoan, Garchitorena)
- rest of Camarines Norte
- northern and western parts of Catanduanes (Pandan, Bagamanoc, Panganiban, Viga, Caramoran, San Andres)
- northern part of mainland Quezon (General Nakar, Infanta)
- rest of Polillo Islands
- central and southern parts of Aurora (Dingalan, San Luis, Maria Aurora, Baler, Dipaculao, Dinalungan)
- eastern part of Nueva Ecija (General Tinio, Gabaldon, Laur, Bongabon, Palayan City, Pantabangan, Rizal, General Mamerto Natividad)
- southeastern part of Nueva Vizcaya (Alfonso Castañeda)
- southern part of Quirino (Nagtipunan)
Signal No. 3
Storm-force winds (89 to 117 km/h), moderate to significant threat to life and property
- rest of Camarines Sur
- rest of Catanduanes
- northeastern part of Albay (Santo Domingo, Polangui, Bacacay, Malilipot, Tabaco City, Malinao, Rapu-Rapu, Tiwi)
- eastern part of Quezon (Calauag, Guinayangan, Tagkawayan, Buenavista, Lopez, Quezon, Perez, Alabat, Gumaca, Plaridel, Atimonan, Mauban, Sampaloc, Real)
- 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)
- rest of Aurora
- eastern and central parts of Bulacan (Norzagaray, San Miguel, San Ildefonso, San Rafael, Doña Remedios Trinidad, Angat, San Jose del Monte City, Santa Maria, Pandi, Baliuag, Bustos, Pulilan, Plaridel)
- northeastern part of Pampanga (Candaba, Arayat, Magalang, San Luis, San Simon, Mexico, Santa Ana, Apalit, Santo Tomas, San Fernando City, Mabalacat City, Angeles City)
- rest of Nueva Ecija
- Tarlac
- northern part of Zambales (Santa Cruz, Candelaria, Masinloc, Palauig)
- rest of Nueva Vizcaya
- rest of Quirino
- southern portion of Isabela (San Agustin, Jones, Echague, San Guillermo, Angadanan, Alicia, San Mateo, Ramon, San Isidro, Santiago City, Cordon)
- central and southern parts of Ilocos Sur (Alilem, Sugpon, Cervantes, Suyo, Tagudin, Narvacan, Quirino, Sigay, Gregorio del Pilar, San Emilio, Santa Cruz, Salcedo, Banayoyo, Candon City, Galimuyod, Santa Lucia, Lidlidda, Santa Maria, Burgos, Santiago, San Esteban, Nagbukel)
- La Union
- Pangasinan
- Benguet
- Ifugao
- western part of Mountain Province (Sabangan, Bauko, Tadian, Bontoc, Sagada, Besao, Sadanga, Barlig)
- southern part of Abra (Tubo, Luba, Pilar, Villaviciosa, San Isidro)
Signal No. 2
Gale-force winds (62 to 88 km/h), minor to moderate threat to life and property
- Sorsogon
- rest of Albay
- Ticao Island
- Burias Island
- northern part of Marinduque (Santa Cruz, Boac, Mogpog, Torrijos)
- 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, San Juan, Rosario)
- Metro Manila
- Bataan
- rest of Pampanga
- rest of Bulacan
- rest of Zambales
- southwestern part of Cagayan (Enrile, Tuao, Solana, Tuguegarao City, Piat, Rizal)
- rest of Isabela
- rest of Abra
- southern part of Apayao (Conner, Kabugao)
- Kalinga
- rest of Mountain Province
- rest of Ilocos Sur
- southern part of Ilocos Norte (Pinili, Batac City, Banna, Nueva Era, Badoc, Currimao, Marcos, Solsona, Dingras, Sarrat, Paoay, Laoag City, San Nicolas)
Signal No. 1
Strong winds (39 to 61 km/h), minimal to minor threat to life and property
- rest of Masbate
- rest of Marinduque
- northern part of Romblon (Cajidiocan, San Fernando, Magdiwang, Romblon, Banton, Corcuera, Santa Maria, Concepcion, Odiongan, San Andres, Calatrava, San Agustin)
- northern and central parts of Oriental Mindoro (Puerto Galera, San Teodoro, Naujan, Baco, Victoria, Socorro, Pinamalayan, Bansud, Gloria, Pola, Calapan City, Bongabong)
- northern and central parts of Occidental Mindoro (Sablayan, Santa Cruz, Mamburao, Abra de Ilog, Paluan) including Lubang Islands
- rest of Batangas
- rest of mainland Cagayan
- rest of Apayao
- rest of Ilocos Norte
- Northern Samar
- northern part of Samar (San Jorge, Matuguinao, Almagro, Calbayog, Pagsanghan, Gandara, Santo Niño, Tagapul-an, San Jose de Buan, Santa Margarita, Tarangnan)
- northern part of Eastern Samar (Maslog, San Policarpo, Dolores, Jipapad, Oras, Arteche)
Meanwhile, below is PAGASA’s updated rainfall advisory, also released at 5 am on Sunday. Affected areas must continue to watch out for floods and landslides.
Sunday, November 17
- Intense to torrential rain (more than 200 millimeters): Quezon, Aurora, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino
- Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Catanduanes, Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Benguet, Pangasinan, Ifugao, La Union, Bulacan, Rizal
- Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Albay, Sorsogon, Metro Manila, Bataan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Laguna, Cagayan, Mountain Province, Zambales, Kalinga, Abra, Ilocos Sur
Monday, November 18
- Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, Ilocos Sur
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.
Pepito is seen to keep moving west northwest over the waters north of Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur until Sunday morning. PAGASA is not ruling out landfall in Camarines Norte’s Calaguas Islands as well.
Then Pepito may pass close to or over Quezon’s Polillo Islands by late Sunday morning, 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 on Sunday evening or early Monday morning, November 18, then head for the West Philippine Sea and finally leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Monday morning or afternoon.
In terms of intensity, Pepito may be downgraded to a typhoon 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.
PAGASA updated its outlook for coastal waters in the next 24 hours. The weather bureau also told the public that wave heights in affected seaboards are “not related to storm surge heights or inundation.”
Up to very rough, high, or very high seas (travel is risky for all vessels)
- Northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands; seaboard of Aurora – waves up to 14 meters high
- Seaboard of Camarines Norte – waves up to 12 meters high
- Northern and eastern seaboards of Catanduanes; northern seaboard of Camarines Sur – waves up to 10 meters high
- Seaboard of northern Quezon – waves up to 9 meters high
- Seaboard of Isabela; remaining seaboards of Polillo Islands and Catanduanes; eastern seaboard of Camarines Sur – waves up to 8 meters high
- Eastern seaboards of mainland Cagayan and Albay – waves up to 5 meters high
- Seaboards of Sorsogon and Northern Samar; eastern seaboard of Eastern Samar; remaining seaboards of Camarines Sur, Albay, and Quezon; seaboards of Ilocos Region, Masbate including Burias Island and Ticao Island, and Marinduque – waves up to 4.5 meters high
Up to rough seas (small vessels should not venture out to sea)
- Seaboards of Batanes, northern Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, and Zambales – waves up to 4 meters high
- Seaboards of Romblon; remaining seaboards of Zambales; 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)
- Western seaboard of Bataan; eastern seaboard of Dinagat Islands – waves up to 2.5 meters high
- Seaboards of Metro Manila, Aklan, Antique, northeastern Iloilo, northern Negros Occidental, and northern Cebu including Bantayan Islands, and Biliran; 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
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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).
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