MANILA, Philippines — “Pepito” is set to intensify into a super typhoon as it nears the areas of Southern Luzon and Eastern Visayas, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Saturday.
“Pepito will continue to intensify today and may reach super typhoon category within the next hours prior to its landfall [on Saturday] night or early morning [on Sunday]. Although a slight weakening may occur after its initial passage over land, much of the weakening will occur tomorrow as Pepito passes over the landmass of Central Luzon. Nevertheless, it will traverse the country as a typhoon and will likely be downgraded into a severe tropical storm once it is over the West Philippine Sea on Monday,” Pagasa said in its 5 a.m. bulletin on Saturday.
The weather bureau also said that a storm surge with peak heights of 3 meters could hit low-lying areas.
“There is a high risk of life-threatening storm surge with peak heights exceeding 3.0 m in the next 48 hours over the low-lying or exposed coastal localities of Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Samar, Bicol Region, Marinduque, Quezon including Polillo Islands, Cavite, Batangas, Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Isabela, and Ilocos Region,” it said.
Storm Signal No. 3 is hoisted over the following areas in Luzon and the Visayas: Catanduanes, the eastern portion of Albay (Rapu-Rapu, Bacacay, City of Tabaco, Malilipot, Tiwi, Malinao), the eastern portion of Camarines Sur (Caramoan, Presentacion, San Jose, Garchitorena, Lagonoy, Sagñay, Tigaon, Goa), the easternmost portion of Sorsogon (Prieto Diaz), the eastern portion of Northern Samar (Palapag, Laoang, Mapanas, Gamay, Lapinig, Catubig, Pambujan) and the northernmost portion of Eastern Samar (San Policarpo, Arteche, Oras, Jipapad).
Signal No. 2 is hoisted over the rest of Camarines Sur, the rest of Albay, the rest of Sorsogon, Ticao Island, Camarines Norte, the easternmost portion of mainland Quezon (Tagkawayan), Pollilo Islands, the northern portion of Eastern Samar (Dolores, Maslog, Can-Avid, Taft, Sulat, San Julian, City of Borongan), the northern portion of Samar (Matuguinao, Calbayog City, Santa Margarita, San Jorge, San Jose de Buan, Tarangnan, Motiong, Gandara, Jiabong, City of Catbalogan, Paranas, Hinabangan, San Sebastian, Pagsanghan), and the rest of Northern Samar.
Metro Manila remains under Signal No. 1, along with the rest of Masbate including Burias Island, Marinduque, Romblon, the rest of Quezon, Laguna, Rizal, Cavite, Batangas, Zambales, Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela, the central and southern portions of Cagayan (Peñablanca, Tuguegarao City, Enrile, Solana, Iguig, Tuao, Rizal, Santo Niño, Lasam, Gattaran, Baggao, Amulung, Alcala, Piat, Lal-Lo, Allacapan), Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Abra, the southern portion of Apayao (Conner, Kabugao, Pudtol, Flora), Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, the rest of Eastern Samar, the rest of Samar, Biliran, the northern and central portions of Leyte (Tunga, Pastrana, San Miguel, Matag-Ob, Tolosa, Palo, Calubian, Leyte, Mayorga, Julita, Carigara, Babatngon, Dagami, Jaro, San Isidro, Santa Fe, Albuera, Villaba, La Paz, Palompon, Macarthur, Tabontabon, Tanauan, Merida, Ormoc City, Isabel, Dulag, Capoocan, Alangalang, Burauen, Tabango, Tacloban City, Kananga, Barugo, Abuyog, Javier, City of Baybay, Mahaplag), the northeastern portion of Southern Leyte (Silago), the northernmost portion of Cebu (Daanbantayan, Medellin) including Bantayan Islands, the northernmost portion of Iloilo (Carles), and the northern portion of Dinagat Islands (Loreto, Tubajon).
As of posting time, Pepito is moving west northwestward at 25 kilometers per hour (kph) with maximum sustained winds of 175 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 215 kph. It is presently 220 km East Northeast of Borongan City, Eastern Samar or 305 km East of Catarman, Northern Samar.
