Super Typhoon Pepito moves over coastal waters of Camarines Sur

MANILA, Philippines – A few more areas were placed under Signal No. 5 as Super Typhoon Pepito (Man-yi) continued to move over the coastal waters of Camarines Sur in the early hours of Sunday, November 17.

As of 1 am on Sunday, Pepito was located over the coastal waters of Caramoan, Camarines Sur. The super typhoon slowed down, moving west northwest at only 10 kilometers per hour from the previous 25 km/h.

Pepito also slightly weakened, with its maximum sustained winds now at 185 km/h from 195 km/h. Its gustiness eased to up to 280 km/h from 325 km/h.

Despite the slight weakening, Pepito is still a super typhoon, and its maximum sustained winds may return to 195 km/h in the coming hours.

It earlier made landfall in Panganiban, Catanduanes, at 9:40 pm on Saturday, November 16, bringing violent winds and intense to torrential rain.

In the 2 am bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Sunday, the southern portion of Catanduanes was no longer under Signal No. 5, but new areas were added.

Signal No. 5

Typhoon-force winds (185 km/h), extreme threat to life and property

• northern part of Catanduanes (Pandan, Bagamanoc, Panganiban, Viga, Caramoran)
• northeastern part of Camarines Sur (Caramoan, Garchitorena, Lagonoy, Presentacion)
• Calaguas Islands
• eastern part of Polillo Islands (Patnanungan, Jomalig)

Signal No. 4

Typhoon-force winds (118 to 184 km/h), significant to severe threat to life and property

• northernmost part of Albay (Tiwi)
• eastern part of Camarines Sur (Siruma, Tinambac, Goa, San Jose, Tigaon, Sagñay, Calabanga)
• rest of Camarines Norte
• rest of Catanduanes
• rest of Polillo Islands

Signal No. 3

Storm-force winds (89 to 117 km/h), moderate to significant threat to life and property

• northeastern part of Sorsogon (Prieto Diaz, Sorsogon City, Gubat)
• 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
• central and eastern 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)
• Tarlac
• Nueva Ecija
• northern part of Zambales (Santa Cruz, Candelaria, Masinloc, Palauig)
• Pangasinan
• La Union
• southern part of Ilocos Sur (Alilem, Sugpon, Cervantes, Suyo, Tagudin)
• Benguet
• Ifugao
• southern part of Mountain Province (Tadian, Bauko, Sabangan)
• Nueva Vizcaya
• Quirino
• southern part of Isabela (Jones, Echague, San Guillermo, Angadanan, Alicia, San Mateo, Ramon, San Isidro, Santiago City, Cordon)

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
• rest of Zambales
• rest of Pampanga
• rest of Bulacan
• Kalinga
• Abra
• rest of Mountain Province
• southern part of Apayao (Kabugao, Conner)
• rest of Ilocos Sur
• rest of Isabela
• southwestern part of Cagayan (Enrile, Tuao, Solana, Tuguegarao City, Piat)
• Northern Samar

Signal No. 1

Strong winds (39 to 61 km/h), minimal to minor threat to life and property

• rest of Masbate
• Romblon
• 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
• rest of Batangas
• rest of Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
• rest of Apayao
• rest of Ilocos Norte
• Biliran
• northernmost part of Cebu (Daanbantayan, Medellin) including Bantayan Islands
• northernmost part of Iloilo (Carles)
• northern part of Samar (San Jorge, San Sebastian, Villareal, Zumarraga, Matuguinao, Pinabacdao, Almagro, Calbayog City, Talalora, Jiabong, Pagsanghan, Catbalogan City, Gandara, Motiong, Santo Niño, Tagapul-an, San Jose de Buan, Santa Margarita, Tarangnan, Calbiga, Daram, Paranas, Hinabangan)
• northern part of Eastern Samar (Can-avid, Maslog, San Policarpo, Taft, Dolores, Jipapad, Oras, Arteche, Sulat, San Julian)
• northernmost part of Leyte (San Isidro, Calubian)

Moderate to torrential rain from Pepito will persist on Sunday, covering more areas in Luzon. The following must be on alert for floods and landslides:

Sunday, November 17

• Intense to torrential rain (more than 200 millimeters): Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Quezon, Aurora, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino
• Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Benguet, Pangasinan, Ifugao, La Union, Tarlac, Bulacan, Pampanga, Rizal, Albay, Sorsogon
• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Metro Manila, Bataan, Cavite, Laguna, Marinduque, Batangas, Cagayan, Mountain Province, Zambales, Kalinga, Abra, Ilocos Sur

Monday, November 18

• Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): La Union, Pangasinan
• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): 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 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 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 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.

PAGASA also issued an updated outlook for sea conditions on Sunday.

Up to very rough, high, or very high seas (travel is risky for all vessels)

• Northern and eastern seaboards of Catanduanes and Aurora – waves up to 14 meters high
• Northern seaboard of Camarines Norte – waves up to 12 meters high
• Northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands – waves up to 10 meters high
• Seaboard of northern Quezon – waves up to 9 meters high
• Seaboard of Isabela; remaining seaboard of 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
• Eastern seaboards of Sorsogon and Eastern Samar; seaboards of Northern Samar; remaining seaboards of Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, and Quezon including Polillo Islands; seaboards of Ilocos Sur. La Union, Pangasinan, Masbate including Burias Island and Ticao Island, and Marinduque; western seaboard of Ilocos Norte – waves up to 4 meters high

Up to rough seas (small vessels should not venture out to sea)

• Seaboards of Batanes, Babuyan Islands, and northern Aurora; northern seaboard of mainland Cagayan – 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)

• 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, 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

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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