MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Storm Pepito (international name Saudel) has intensified into a severe tropical storm and has now affected more than 5,000 families across Cagayan Valley and CALABARZON.
The latest figures from the civil defense office showed 342 families affected in Region 2, or 171 in Cagayan, 168 in Isabela, and three in Quirino. Some 184 families were also preemptively evacuated.
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Region 4A, meanwhile, has at least 4,790 families affected, with its Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council advising motorists that a portion of the Maharlika Highway in Lopez, Quezon remains submerged in flood at an estimated four to 4.5 ft.
PAGASA said Pepito was spotted at 295 km west of Dagupan City in Pangasinan at 4 p.m., with maximum sustained winds of 95 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 115 kph.
The severe tropical storm is set to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Thursday morning or afternoon as it moves generally west-northwestward over the West Philippine Sea.
All storm signals including Signal No. 1 have also been lifted following this reported developments by the state weather bureau.
Still, light to moderate with occasional heavy rains are seen tonight until Thursday morning over Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro and Palawan.
Gale warning is also still up due to rough to very rough seas over the seaboards of Northern and Central Luzon, northern Quezon including Polilio Islands, as well as western seaboards of Batanges, Occidental Mindoro and Palawan.
PAGASA said moderate to rough seas will continue over the eastern seaboards of souther Quezon, Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas, Caraga and Davao Region.
Forecast Positions
- Thursday afternoon: 415 km West of Sinait, Ilocos Sur
- Friday afternoon: 540 km West of Laoag City, Ilocos Norte
- Saturday afternoon: 890 km West of Northern Luzon
- Sunday afternoon: 1,270 km West of Northern Luzon — Christian Deiparine with reports from Franco Luna