Pagasa may declare storm signal 4 over No. Luzon

State weather forecasters said Friday that storm signal number 4 may be declared in some areas in northern Luzon as typhoon "Pepeng" (international name: Parma) is expected to make landfall over the Aurora-Isabela area on Saturday noon. At the same time, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) placed a total of 32 areas under storm signals as Pepeng continued to move towards the Aurora-Isabela area in northern Philippines. In its 5 a.m. advisory, Pagasa said Pepeng was 270 km east of Virac, Catanduanes, with maximum sustained winds of 195 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 230 kph. Pepeng was moving west northwest at 19 kph and is expected to be 90 km northeast of Casiguran, Aurora Saturday morning. The howler is expected to make landfall over the Aurora-Isabela area Saturday noon, Pagasa said. By Sunday morning it is expected to be 60 km southwest of Laoag City, and by Monday morning it is expected to be 380 km west northwest of Laoag City. Signal 4 "Dahil nananatili ang lakas ng hangin at 195 kph, it’s still very much possible itataas ang Signal No. 4 habang ito [ay] papalapit sa Northern Luzon area (Since its winds are still at 195 kph it is still very possible we can raise Signal No. 4 as it closes in on Northern Luzon)," Pagasa chief Prisco Nilo said at a predawn briefing in Quezon City. Under storm signal No. 4, "very strong winds of more than 185 kph may be expected in at least 12 hours," according to Pagasa’s website. It said that under signal 4, many large trees may be uprooted while most residential and institutional buildings of mixed construction may be severely damaged. Electrical power distribution and communication services may be severely disrupted. Storm signals Nilo said aid storm signal No. 1 may be raised over Metro Manila before noon. "Titignan natin mamayang 11 a.m., baka mag-raise tayo ng storm signal No. 1 sa Metro Manila area (We’ll see, by 11 a.m., we may raise storm signal No. 1 over Metro Manila)," he said. Metro Manila and other nearby provinces in the Central Luzon and Calabarzon regions were battered by tropical storm "Ondoy" last September 26. But Nilo said there is a low probability – 20 percent – that the howler will bulldoze its way through Central Luzon. Areas under signal No. 2 are: * Catanduanes * Camarines Norte * Northern Quezon * Aurora * Polillo Islands Under signal No. 1 are: * Ilocos Norte * Ilocos Sur * Abra * Apayao * Kalinga * Cagayan * Babuyan Islands * Isabela * Mt. Province * Ifugao * Benguet * La Union * Nueva Vizcaya * Quirino * Pangasinan * Nueva Ecija * Tarlac * Zambales * Pampanga * Bulacan * Rizal * Southern Quezon * Camarines Sur * Albay * Sorsogon * Burias Island * Northern Samar Stormy weather "The provinces of Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Northern Quezon, Aurora and Polilio Island will have stormy weather. Northern and Central Luzon and the rest of Bicol Region will experience rains and gusty winds with moderate to rough seas. The rest of Luzon and the whole of Visayas will have cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms. Mindanao will be mostly cloudy with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms," Pagasa said. It advised residents in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes under storm signals to take precautions against possible flashfloods and landslides. It also alerted them against big waves that could be generated by the typhoon. "Fishing boats and other small seacraft are advised not to venture out into the sea while larger sea vessels are alerted against big waves," Pagasa said. - GMANews.TV