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LPA develops into Tropical Depression Pepito


A low pressure area has developed into a tropical depression before dawn on Monday and has been named Pepito, PAGASA said.

The LPA located east of Virac, Catanduanes intensified and became a tropical depression at 2 a.m.

Pepito's trough or extension will affect Visayas, Mindanao, MIMAROPA and the Bicol Region, causing cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms.

Flash floods or landslides may be possible during light to moderate or heavy rains.

PAGASA said Quezon, the Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Bangasamoro, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, and Sarangani will have light to moderate with at times heavy rains.

Meanwhile, the northeasterly surface windflow is affecting Northern and Central Luzon.

It will bring partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains over the Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon.

Strong- to gale-force winds with occasional gusts may be felt over Batanes, Babuyan Islands, and the coastal and mountainous areas of northern Ilocos Norte, Apayao, Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, and Northern Samar due to the northeasterly surface windflow enhanced partly by Pepito.

Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon, on the other hand, will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers due to localized thunderstorms. Flash floods or landslides may occur during severe thunderstorms.

At 4 a.m., Pepito's eye was located at 820 km east of Virac, Catanduanes.

The tropical depression has maximum sustained winds of 45 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 55 km/h.

Pepito is moving west northwestward at 20 km/h.

It may make landfall over Northern Luzon or Central Luzon if it does not change its course, GMA resident meteorologist Nathaniel "Mang Tani" Cruz said on GMA News' Unang Hirit.

PAGASA said Pepito may emerge in the West Philippine Sea on Wednesday and intensify into a severe tropical storm while traversing it.

Pepito is expected to be outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Friday morning.

A gale warning was raised over the seaboards of Batanes, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and Isabela. These areas will have rough to very rough seas with wave heights reaching up to 4.5 meters due to the northeasterly surface windflow. PAGASA said sea travel is risky over these areas.

Coastal waters will be moderate to rough over the eastern seaboards of Central Luzon and the Bicol Region as well as the seaboards of Northern and Eastern Samar due to Pepito and the northeasterly surface windflow. PAGASA warned those with small seacraft to take the necessary precautions when going out to sea.

Sunrise will be at 5:48 a.m. while sunset will be at 5:34 p.m.

The next weather bulletin will be issued at 11 a.m. —KG, GMA News

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