Signal No. 2 still up in 15 areas as Pepito maintains strength

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 is still raised over fifteen areas in Luzon as Tropical Storm Pepito maintains its strength as it endangers Aurora, PAGASA said Tuesday evening.

In its 8 p.m. severe weather bulletin, the weather agency said Pepito is forecasted to make landfall over the coast of Aurora between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Tuesday.

PAGASA said the following areas are still under TCWS No. 2:

• La Union
• Pangasinan
• Ifugao
• Benguet
• Nueva Vizcaya
• Quirino
• Nueva Ecija
• Tarlac
• Aurora
• 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)
• the southern portion of Ilocos Sur (Sugpon, Alilem, Tagudin)
• the northern portion of Zambales (Iba, Palauig, Masinloc, Candelaria, Santa Cruz, Botolan, Cabangan)
• the northern portion of Bulacan (San Miguel, Doña Remedios Trinidad)
• the northern portion of Pampanga (Candaba, Arayat, Magalang, Mabalacat)
• the northern portion of Quezon (General Nakar)

Meanwhile, the following areas are placed under TCWS No. 1:

• Abra
• Kalinga
• Mountain Province
• Bataan
• Metro Manila
• Rizal
• the northern portion of Camarines Norte (Paracale, Jose Panganiban, Capalonga, Vinzons)
• Catanduanes
• the rest of northern portion of Quezon (Infanta, Real)
• the rest of Zambales

PAGASA said the center of Pepito was seen 70 kilometers east of Baler, Aurora at 7 p.m. with maximum sustained winds of 75 km per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph. It is moving westward at 25 kph.

The weather bureau said Pepito will emerge over the West Philippine Sea on Wednesday morning and may exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Thursday morning or afternoon.

After crossing the Luzon landmass, PAGASA said Pepito may intensify and reach severe tropical storm category by Thursday.

Hazards

Pepito will bring moderate to heavy rains over Central Luzon, MIMAROPA, Camarines Norte, Quezon, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Isabela, mainland Cagayan, La Union, Pangasinan and Benguet from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning.

Light to moderate, with at times, heavy rains, meanwhile, will prevail over Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula and Bangsamoro.

PAGASA advised affected residents to prepare for possible flash floods and landslides during heavy or prolonged rainfall.

Moreover, high to gale-force winds will be experienced in areas under TCWS No. 1 and 2, while high to gale-force winds with occasional gusts will prevail over Batanes, Babuyan Islands, the coastal and/or mountainous areas of mainland Cagayan, Apayao and Ilocos Norte due to the northeasterly surface wind flow.

PAGASA said gale warning is still in effect over the seaboards of Batanes, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte and the western seaboards of Batangas and Occidental Mindoro (including Lubang Island) due to rough to very rough seas.

The seaboards of areas under TCWS No. 1 and 2 will also experience rough to very rough seas.

Moderate to rough seas, meanwhile, will prevail over Palawan and the eastern seaboards of Southern Luzon, Eastern Visayas, Caraga and Davao Region.

PAGASA advised those with small sea crafts to take precautionary measures when venturing out to sea.—LDF, GMA News