WHILE Typhoon Ofel weakened while traversing northwest of Calayan, Cagayan, severe tropical storm Pepito intensified and may now reach typhoon level while remaining off the coast of the country.
According to PAGASA, Ofel PH is slowing down after making landfall in Cagayan on Thursday (November 14), with maximum sustained winds of 120 km/h around the center and gusts of up to 150 km/h.
Photo Courtesy: PAGASA
Nonetheless, moderate to severe rains may fall over Luzon’s northern tip this Friday.Ofel might exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Friday afternoon and return on Saturday as it re-curves.
Pepito nears typhoon status
Meanwhile, Pepito is not immediately harming any area of the country. PAGASA, on the other hand, continues to anticipate heavy rainfall from the strong tropical storm, in addition to those caused by Ofel.
According to the weather bureau, the center of Pepito is located 795 kilometers east of Guiuan in Eastern Samar, with maximum sustained winds of 110 km/h and gusts up to 135 km/h.
Metro Manila in the path of the storm
During the weekend, the severe tropical storm might make landfall on the eastern coasts of Central and/or Southern Luzon, and may traverse Bicol, Calabarzon, Central Luzon regions.
Photo Courtesy: PAGASA
This time, Metro Manila residents are also warned to begin preparing considering Pepito would travel through and be “very close” to the city this weekend, particularly on Sunday (November 17).
Pepito is expected to build into a typhoon within the next 12 hours, reaching super typhoon status by tomorrow (November 16) evening and possibly making landfall at peak intensity, while it could exit the PAR on Monday (November 18) afternoon or evening.
It will continue to cause violent conditions along the southern and central coasts of Luzon until Sunday, when it will make a second landfall in the eastern part of Central or Southern Luzon.
Signal Numbers for Ofel
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 3 is still visible in the western Babuyan Islands, the northwesternmost area of mainland Cagayan, and the northernmost portion of Ilocos Norte.
Signal No. 2 is issued for the remainder of Babuyan Island, the northwest area of mainland Cagayan, the northern portion of Apayao, and the northern portion of Ilocos Norte.
Signal No. 1 is active in Batanes, the rest of Cagayan, the northern section of Isabela, the rest of Apayao, Kalinga, the northern and central regions of Abra, the remainder of Ilocos Norte, and the northern portion of Ilocos Sur.
Signal Number for Pepito
Despite being far from the Philippines’ landmasses, Signal No. 1 has already been raised in numerous sections of Luzon and Visayas in preparation of Pepito’s potential effects on the weather.
The signal number applies to Catanduanes, the eastern section of Camarines Norte, the eastern portion of Camarines Sur, the eastern portion of Albay, and the eastern and southern areas of Sorsogon on the island of Luzon.
For Visayas, Northern Samar, the northern portion of Eastern Samar, and the northeastern portion of Samar are among the places now under the signal number as of this morning.
