‘Pepito’ keeps strength as it approaches Aurora-Isabela coast

MANILA, Philippines  —  Tropical Storm Pepito (international name: Saudel) maintained its strength as it approaches the Aurora-Isabela coast on Tuesday afternoon, the state weather bureau has said.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its 2 p.m. bulletin that Pepito was last seen 195 kilometers east of Baler, Aurora, packing maximum sustained of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 80 kph. It is moving west-northwestward at 25 kph.

Pagasa earlier said that Pepito is expected to make landfall over the Aurora-Isabela coast between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Tuesday.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 is still raised over these 13 areas:

• 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 Quezon (General Nakar)

TCWS No. 1, meanwhile, is hoisted in the following areas:

• Abra
• Kalinga
• Mountain Province
• Bulacan
• Pampanga
• 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 that because of Pepito, moderate to heavy rains may be expected over the Bicol Region, MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan), Quezon, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Isabela, mainland Cagayan, Pangasinan, and Benguet.

On the other hand, it said Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Bangsamoro will have light to moderate with at times heavy rains also due to the tropical storm, which is expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility by Thursday morning as it is likely to further intensify into a severe tropical storm that same day.

KGA