Signal No. 2 remains over 6 areas as Pepito moves towards West PHL Sea

Tropical Storm Pepito has crossed the rugged terrain of northern Luzon and is now over the Lingayen Gulf, according to Severe Weather Bulletin No. 14 issued by PAGASA on Wednesday.

Pepito is forecast to move generally westward over the West Philippine Sea today, before slowing down and turning northwestward and will exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Thursday morning or afternoon.

On the forecast track, Pepito will accelerate and turn westward beginning Friday towards the central portion of Vietnam.

The Tropical Storm is forecast to gradually intensify over the West Philippine Sea and may reach severe tropical storm category by Thursday afternoon or evening.

On Wednesday, Pepito will bring moderate to heavy rains over Batanes, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Pangasinan, La Union, Apayao, Benguet, Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro, and Calamian Islands.

Light to moderate with at times heavy rains will be experienced over Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon.

As of 4 a.m. on Wednesday, the center of Tropical Storm Pepito was estimated at 40 kilometers North Northwest of Dagupan City, Pangasinan with maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 115 kph and moving West Northwestward at a speed of 30 kph.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 is hoisted over the following areas:

• Ilocos Sur
• La Union
• Pangasinan
• Benguet
• Tarlac
• and the northern portion of Zambales (Iba, Palauig, Masinloc, Candelaria, Santa Cruz, Botolan, Cabangan)

The areas under TCWS No. 1 are the following:

• Ilocos Norte
• Kalinga
• Abra
• Ifugao
• Mountain Province
• the southern portion of Isabela (Palanan, San Mariano, Benito Soliven, Naguilian, Gamu, Burgos, San Manuel, Aurora, Cabatuan, Luna, Reina Mercedes, Cauayan City, Dinapigue, San Guillermo, Angadanan, Alicia, San Mateo, Ramon, San Isidro, Echague, San Agustin, Jones, Santiago City, Cordon)
• Quirino
• Nueva Vizcaya
• Aurora
• Nueva Ecija
• Bulacan
• Pampanga
• the rest of Zambales
• Bataan

Flooding, including flash floods, and rain-induced landslides may occur during heavy or prolonged rainfall especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards.

Gale-force winds and high (strong to near gale) winds will be experienced in areas under TCWS No. 2 and No. 1, respectively.

High to gale-force winds due to the northeasterly surface wind flow will also be experienced over the rest of northern Luzon, especially in coastal and mountainous areas.

Rough to very rough seas will be experienced over the areas where TCWS and Gale Warning are in effect.

In particular, such conditions are expected over the entire seaboards of Northern and Central Luzon, the seaboard of northern Quezon including Pollilo Islands, and the western seaboards of Batangas, Occidental Mindoro (including Lubang Islands), and Palawan (including Calamian and Kalayaan Islands).

Sea travel is risky over these areas, especially for those using small seacrafts.

Moderate to rough seas will prevail over the eastern seaboards of southern Quezon, Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas, Caraga, and Davao Region. Those with small seacrafts are advised to take precautionary measures when venturing out to sea. Inexperienced mariners should avoid navigating in these conditions.

The other tropical cyclone monitored by PAGASA, a Tropical Depression was located outside the PAR was estimated based on all available data at 1,880 kilometers East Northeast of Extreme Northern Luzon with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers near the center and gustiness of up to 70 kph and is currently almost stationary.

The weather bureau adds that this disturbance remains unlikely to enter the PAR. -- BAP, GMA News