Pepito to cause rains over Northern Luzon, seen to exit PAR on Thursday

Severe Tropical Storm Pepito has slowed down while maintaining its strength as it moved southwestward, PAGASA said Wednesday night.

In its 11 p.m. severe weather bulletin, the weather agency said Pepito is likely to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Thursday morning or afternoon.

Pepito is also expected to reach peak intensity within 48 hours. PAGASA said that though it is likely to remain as a severe tropical storm, there is a possibility that it may intensify into a typhoon.

At 10 p.m. on Wednesday, the center of Pepito was estimated at 305 kilometers west of Dagupan City, Pangasinan with maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 115 kph.

It is moving southwestward at 10 kph.

Hazards

From Wednesday night to Thursday, Pepito is expected to bring light to moderate rains with, at times, heavy rains over Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, northern Aurora, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, and the Sulu Archipelago.

Flooding, including flash floods, and rain-induced landslides are possible during heavy or prolonged rainfall, according to PAGASA.

Meanwhile, high winds to gale-force winds with occasional gusts are expected to prevail over Northern and Central Luzon, especially over the western portion of said areas.

Due to rough to very rough seas, gale warnings have also been raised over the entire seaboards of Northern and Central Luzon, the eastern seaboard of northern Quezon (including Polillo Islands), the western seaboards of Batangas, Occidental Mindoro (including Lubang Island), and Palawan (including Calamian and Kalayaan Islands).

Moderate to rough seas are, meanwhile, expected to prevail over the eastern seaboards of southern Quezon.

PAGASA is set to issue a severe weather bulletin on Pepito at 11 a.m. on Thursday. -NB, GMA News