Pepito reaching catastrophic-level intensity - Pagasa

A super typhoon barreling towards the country was intensifying and could have a "potentially catastrophic" impact, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) yesterday warned, with millions of people at risk from storm surges.

- ROMINA CABRERA

More than 650,000 people have fled their homes ahead of Super Typhoon Pepito (Manyi), which was expected to make landfall late yesterday or early today, becoming the sixth major storm to pummel the country in the past month.

With wind gusts of up to 240 kilometers per hour, Pepito was on track to slam into the sparsely populated island province of Catanduanes as a super typhoon or "near peak intensity," PAGASA warned.

"Potentially catastrophic and life-threatening situation looms for northeastern Bicol region as Super Typhoon Pepito further intensifies," the forecaster said in its latest update.

Up to 46-foot high seas were expected around Catanduanes, while more than 7.6 million people were at risk from storm surges of one to three meters, PAGASA said.

Wind signal No. 4 is up over the northeastern portion of Camarines Sur and the northeastern portion of Albay.

Signal No. 3 was hoisted over Polillo Islands, the southeastern portion of mainland Quezon, Camarines Norte, the rest of Camarines Sur, the rest of Albay and the northern portion of Sorsogon, as well as the eastern and central portions of Northern Samar and the northern portion of Eastern Samar.

Signal No. 2 was raised over the southern portion of Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, the eastern portion of Pangasinan, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Tarlac, Pampanga, the southern portion of Zambales, Bataan, Metro Manila, Rizal, the rest of Quezon, Laguna, Cavite, Marinduque, Burias Island and Ticao Island.

The same signal was raised over the central portion of Eastern Samar, the northern portion of Samar and the rest of Northern Samar.