Typhoon ‘Ofel’ (international name: Usagi) continues to weaken over Luzon Strait while Severe Tropical Storm ‘Pepito’ further intensifies and is nearing typhoon category, the state weather bureau said on Friday.
According to the latest 5 AM advisory from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Typhoon ‘Ofel’ is moving north northwestward at 20 kilometers per hour with maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kilometers per hour.
Its center was last estimated at 100 km northwest of Calayan, Cagayan.
Meanwhile, Severe Tropical Storm ‘Pepito’ (international name: Man-Yi) is moving westward at 25 kilometers per hour with maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 135 kilometers per hour.
Its center was last estimated at 795 km east of Guiuan, Eastern Samar.
Under the effects of ‘Ofel,’ Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 3 is raised over the western portion of Babuyan Islands, the northwesternmost portion of mainland Cagayan, and the northernmost portion of Ilocos Norte.
TCWS No. 2 is hoisted over the rest of Babuyan Island, the northwestern portion of mainland Cagayan, the northern portion of Apayao, and the northern portion of Ilocos Norte, while TCWS No. 1 is issued to Batanes, the rest of Cagayan, the northern portion of Isabela, the rest of Apayao, Kalinga, the northern and central portions of Abra, the rest of Ilocos Norte, and the northern portion of Ilocos Sur.
TCWS No. 1 is also raised in Catanduanes, the eastern portion of Camarines Norte, the eastern portion of Camarines Sur, the eastern portion of Albay, the eastern and southern portions of Sorsogon, Northern Samar, the northern portion of Eastern Samar, and the northeastern portion of Samar due to ‘Pepito.’
According to PAGASA, ‘Ofel’ is forecast to move north northwestward and may exit the northwestern boundary of the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) this afternoon. Outside PAR, the tropical cyclone will then move generally northward until tomorrow morning over the sea west of Batanes.
However, there is a possibility that ‘Ofel’ may then re-enter the PAR region as it turns generally northeastward towards southern Taiwan and will remain inside PAR until the rest of the forecast period.
“Ofel is forecast to further weaken throughout the forecast period due to the increasingly unfavorable environment from Luzon Strait up to the sea east of Taiwan, where Ofel may weaken into a remnant low,” it assured.
Severe Tropical Storm ‘Pepito,’ however, is expected to move westward over the next 12 hours before turning west northwestward to northwestward over the Philippine Sea. On the track forecast, it may make landfall over the eastern coast of Central and/or Southern Luzon during the weekend.
The weather disturbance may exit PAR on Monday afternoon or evening and the landfall point may also shift within the range of the forecast confidence cone from the eastern coast of eastern coast of Eastern Visayas to the eastern coast of Central Luzon.
“Pepito is forecast to intensify into a typhoon within the next 12 hours and it may reach super typhoon category by tomorrow evening and may possibly make landfall at peak intensity. It will continue to bring violent conditions over the coastal areas of Southern Luzon and Central Luzon until Sunday prior to a second landfall over the eastern section of Central or Southern Luzon,” PAGASA warned.
A weakening trend is expected from Sunday onwards as ‘Pepito’ traverses mainland Luzon until it exits the PAR region.
