Typhoon Pepito exits Luzon landmass but still bringing winds, rain

Though Typhoon Pepito (Man-yi) is no longer over land, Signal Nos. 1 to 4 are still raised and moderate to intense rain will still hit parts of Luzon

MANILA, Philippines – Typhoon Pepito (Man-yi), a super typhoon at its peak, left the landmass of Luzon on Sunday evening, November 17, but was still near the coast of La Union and Pangasinan.

As of 10 pm on Sunday, Pepito was already over the coastal waters of San Fernando, La Union, still moving west northwest at 25 kilometers per hour (km/h).

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in a briefing past 11 pm that the typhoon further weakened, with its maximum sustained winds down to 155 km/h from 165 km/h. Its gustiness also eased to up to 255 km/h from 275 km/h.

Though Pepito is no longer over land, Signal Nos. 1 to 4 are still raised for many areas given the size of the typhoon.

Signal No. 4

Typhoon-force winds (118 to 184 km/h), significant to severe threat to life and property

• southern part of Ilocos Sur (Alilem, Sugpon, Suyo, Santa Cruz, Tagudin, Candon City, Santa Lucia, Salcedo, Galimuyod, Cervantes, Sigay)
• La Union
• northern part of Pangasinan (Sison, Tayug, Binalonan, San Manuel, Asingan, San Quintin, Santa Maria, Natividad, San Nicolas, Balungao, Pozorrubio, Laoac, San Jacinto, San Fabian, Manaoag, Urdaneta City, Rosales, Umingan, Mangaldan, Mapandan, Villasis, Santo Tomas, Dagupan City, Anda, Bolinao, Bani, Alaminos City, Lingayen, Binmaley, Sual, Labrador)
• Benguet
• southwestern part of Ifugao (Tinoc, Asipulo)
• western part of Nueva Vizcaya (Bayombong, Ambaguio, Villaverde, Kayapa, Santa Fe, Aritao, Bambang, Solano)
• northern part of Nueva Ecija (Lupao, Carranglan)

Signal No. 3

Storm-force winds (89 to 117 km/h), moderate to significant threat to life and property

• rest of Ilocos Sur
• rest of Pangasinan
• southern part of Abra (Tubo, Luba, Pilar, Villaviciosa, San Isidro, Pidigan, Langiden, San Quintin, Bangued, Manabo, Boliney, Peñarrubia, Bucloc, Sallapadan, Bucay)
• southern part of Kalinga (Pasil, Tanudan, Lubuagan, Tinglayan)
• Mountain Province
• rest of Ifugao
• southern part of Isabela (Ramon, Santiago City, Cordon, San Agustin, Jones, Echague, San Isidro, San Mateo, Alicia)
• Quirino
• rest of Nueva Vizcaya
• northern part of Tarlac (Paniqui, La Paz, Moncada, Tarlac City, Gerona, Pura, San Clemente, Santa Ignacia, Victoria, Camiling, Ramos, San Manuel, Anao)
• central part of Nueva Ecija (Talavera, Santo Domingo, Zaragoza, Guimba, Aliaga, Cabanatuan City, Quezon, Santa Rosa, Nampicuan, Licab, Palayan City, General Mamerto Natividad, Laur, San Jose City, Pantabangan, Science City of Muñoz, Rizal, Llanera, Bongabon, Talugtug, Cuyapo)
• central part of Aurora (Maria Aurora, Dipaculao, Baler, Dinalungan)

Signal No. 2

Gale-force winds (62 to 88 km/h), minor to moderate threat to life and property

• Ilocos Norte
• southern part of Apayao (Conner, Kabugao)
• rest of Abra
• rest of Kalinga
• southwestern part of Cagayan (Enrile, Tuao, Solana, Tuguegarao City, Piat, Rizal)
• western, central, and southern parts of Isabela (Santo Tomas, Aurora, Santa Maria, Quezon, San Mariano, Naguilian, Dinapigue, Roxas, San Guillermo, Luna, Delfin Albano, Cauayan City, Ilagan City, Angadanan, Benito Soliven, Tumauini, Cabagan, Reina Mercedes, San Manuel, Cabatuan, Quirino, Gamu, Mallig, Burgos)
• rest of Aurora
• Zambales
• rest of Tarlac
• rest of Nueva Ecija
• Pampanga
• northern part of Bulacan (San Ildefonso, San Miguel, Doña Remedios Trinidad, San Rafael, Baliuag, Pulilan, Calumpit)

Signal No. 1

Strong winds (39 to 61 km/h), minimal to minor threat to life and property

• rest of mainland Cagayan
• rest of Isabela
• rest of Apayao
• Bataan
• rest of Bulacan
• Metro Manila
• Rizal
• Cavite
• Laguna
• northern part of Quezon (Infanta, Lucban, Sampaloc, Dolores, General Nakar, Real, Mauban) including Polillo Islands
• northern part of Batangas (Calaca City, Lian, Tuy, Balayan, Talisay, Agoncillo, Santo Tomas, Lemery, Tanauan City, Mataasnakahoy, Balete, Nasugbu, San Nicolas, Laurel, Malvar)

The highest tropical cyclone wind signal raised due to Pepito was Signal No. 5.

The typhoon is no longer expected to trigger intense to torrential rain in the coming hours, but the following provinces will still have moderate to heavy or heavy to intense rain:

• Heavy to intense rain (100-200 millimeters): La Union, Pangasinan, Aurora, Quirino, Nueva Ecija, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Nueva Vizcaya
• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Bulacan, Cagayan, Apayao, Abra, Ilocos Sur, Pampanga, Isabela, Ilocos Norte, Tarlac, Zambales

In addition, there is still a high risk of “life-threatening” storm surges “with peak surge heights exceeding 3 meters” in the Ilocos Region, southeastern mainland Cagayan, Isabela, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Cavite, Quezon (eastern coast) including Polillo Islands, and Camarines Norte within 48 hours. View the map below, and check the list of specific cities and municipalities here.

Pepito made landfall twice as a super typhoon — first in Panganiban, Catanduanes, at 9:40 pm on Saturday, November 16, then in Dipaculao, Aurora, at 3:20 pm on Sunday. It had maximum sustained winds of 195 km/h during its first landfall — its peak intensity — and 185 km/h during its second landfall.

From Aurora, Pepito crossed Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Benguet, and La Union. Over the West Philippine Sea, it could further weaken due to “an incoming northeasterly wind surge,” PAGASA said.

The typhoon may exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Monday morning or noon.

PAGASA released an updated outlook for sea conditions in the next 24 hours.

Up to very rough or high seas (travel is risky for all vessels)

• Seaboards of Aurora and Isabela – waves up to 7 meters high
• Eastern seaboard of mainland Cagayan; seaboards of Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur – waves up to 5.5 meters high
• Seaboard of northern mainland Quezon; northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands – waves up to 5 meters high
• Seaboards of La Union and Pangasinan – waves up to 4.5 meters high

Up to rough seas (small vessels should not venture out to sea)

• Seaboard of Babuyan Islands; remaining seaboard of mainland Cagayan – waves up to 4 meters high
• Northern seaboard of Camarines Norte; seaboard of Batanes – waves up to 3.5 meters high
• Western seaboard of Zambales; northern and eastern seaboards of Catanduanes; northern seaboard of Camarines Sur – waves up to 3 meters high

Up to moderate seas (small vessels should take precautionary measures or avoid sailing, if possible)

• Eastern seaboard of Quezon including the rest of Polillo Islands; remaining seaboards of Catanduanes; northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Samar; eastern seaboard of Albay; western seaboard of Bataan – waves up to 2.5 meters high
• Western seaboard of Lubang Islands, Batangas, and Occidental Mindoro; eastern seaboards of Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, Eastern Samar and Dinagat Islands; northern and western seaboards of Calamian Islands – waves up to 2 meters high

The weather bureau also reiterated that wave heights in affected seaboards are “not related to storm surge heights or inundation.”

Pepito is the Philippines’ 16th tropical cyclone for 2024. It is also the fourth tropical cyclone for November alone, after Marce (Yinxing), Nika (Toraji), and Ofel (Usagi).

Counting from October 21 to present — starting with Kristine (Trami) and Leon (Kong-rey) — Pepito is already the country’s sixth tropical cyclone in less than a month. – Rappler.com