MANILA, Philippines – Super Typhoon Pepito (Man-yi) made its second landfall in Dipaculao, Aurora, at 3:20 pm on Sunday, November 17, still unleashing violent winds and torrential rain.

After hitting Aurora, Pepito was already in the vicinity of Nagtipunan, Quirino, at 4 pm on Sunday. The super typhoon slightly accelerated, moving northwest at 25 kilometers per hour from the previous 20 km/h.

It continues to have maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h, while its gustiness jumped from up to 230 km/h to 305 km/h.

Pepito’s first landfall had been in Panganiban, Catanduanes, at 9:40 pm on Saturday, November 16. At the time, it had maximum sustained winds of 195 km/h, its peak intensity.

In its 5 pm bulletin on Sunday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) placed more areas in Nueva Vizcaya under Signal No. 5. Here is the latest list of areas where tropical cyclone wind signals are in effect:

Signal No. 5

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

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

Signal No. 4

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

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

Signal No. 3

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

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

Signal No. 2

Gale-force winds (62 to 88 km/h), minor to moderate threat to life and property

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

Signal No. 1

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

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

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[Walang Pasok] Class suspensions, Monday, November 18, 2024

Pepito will continue to trigger moderate to torrential rain, which may cause floods and landslides. The weather bureau issued an updated rainfall advisory at 5 pm on Sunday, covering these areas:

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

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), southeastern mainland Cagayan, Isabela, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Cavite, southeastern Batangas, and Quezon within 48 hours. View the map below, and check the list of specific cities and municipalities here.

After its landfall in Aurora, Pepito is expected to cross the northern part of Central Luzon and the southern part of Northern Luzon “via the upland regions of the Sierra Madre, Caraballo, and Cordillera Central” mountain ranges until Sunday evening.

“During this period, Pepito will significantly weaken due to land interaction,” PAGASA said, but it is likely to still be of typhoon strength.

Afterwards, Pepito will exit the landmass of Luzon on Sunday evening or early Monday morning, November 18, and head for the West Philippine Sea, where it could further weaken due to “an incoming northeasterly wind surge.”

Pepito may exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Monday morning or noon.

Sea conditions have begun to gradually improve compared to earlier on Sunday, although several seaboards remain dangerous for all vessels.

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

• Seaboard of Aurora – waves up to 9 meters high
• Seaboard of Isabela – waves up to 8 meters high
• Eastern seaboard of mainland Cagayan – waves up to 6 meters high
• Seaboards of La Union and Ilocos Sur – waves up to 5.5 meters high
• Seaboard of northern mainland Quezon; northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands – waves up to 5 meters high
• Seaboards of Ilocos Norte and Pangasinan – waves up to 4.5 meters high

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

• Seaboard of Babuyan Islands – waves up to 4 meters high
• Northern seaboard of Camarines Norte – waves up to 3.5 meters high
• Western seaboard of Zambales; northern and eastern seaboards of Catanduanes; northern seaboard of Camarines Sur – waves up to 3 meters high

Up to moderate seas (small vessels should take precautionary measures or avoid sailing, if possible)

• Eastern seaboard of Quezon including the rest of Polillo Islands; remaining seaboards of Catanduanes; eastern seaboards of Camarines Sur, Albay, and Sorsogon; northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Samar – waves up to 2.5 meters high
• Western seaboard of Bataan and Lubang Islands; eastern seaboards of Eastern Samar and Dinagat Islands – waves up to 2 meters high

PAGASA also reiterated that wave heights in affected seaboards are “not related to storm surge heights or inundation.”

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