Bagyong Pepeng!

Three Bicol provinces were placed under Storm Signal No. 1 as the weather disturbance "Pepeng" (international name: Parma) threatened to develop into a super typhoon and continued to move towards Northern Luzon on Thursday.

The typhoon is expected to bring strong winds to the eastern seaboards of Visayas and Mindanao but is not likely to bring much monsoon rains, forecaster Mario Palafox of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

He added that Pepeng could make landfall on Saturday.

"Malapit sa 180 kph ang minimum na lakas ng hangin ng isang super typhoon. Ang Pepeng ay nasa 150 kph na. So, 30 kph na lang, pwede na i-consider na super typhoon (Its winds are now 150 kph, near 180 kph, which is the minimum wind speed for it to be considered a super typhoon)," Palafox said in an interview on dzBB radio early Thursday.

The provinces of Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Catanduanes were placed under Storm Signal No. 1 as the typhoon drew closer to the country. As of 4 a.m. Pepeng was spotted 650 km east of Borongan town in Eastern Samar, Pagasa said in its 5 a.m. advisory.

Meanwhile, the Coast Guard reported that 139 passengers were left stranded in the capital city of Albay province on Thursday morning due to the rains triggered by the onset of typhoon “Pepeng." They were stranded in various ports and transportation terminals in three barangays (villages) in Legazpi City, the report said.

Palafox said a tropical depression (international codename "Melor") which is following Pepeng is still outside Philippine territory and is unlikely to enhance the typhoon.

"Itong tropical depression papasok sa boundary ng Philippine area of responsibility, pero 'di makaapekto sa atin (The tropical depression after Pepeng may enter the boundary of the Philippine area of responsibility but is unlikely to affect us directly)," he added.

As of Thursday morning, Pepeng packed maximum sustained winds of 150 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 185 kph, and was moving west-northwest at 24 kph.

By Friday morning it is expected to be 310 km east of Virac in Catanduanes. On Saturday morning it is expected to be 190 km north of Virac or 310 km southeast of Tuguegarao City.

Pagasa advised residents in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes to take precautions against possible flash floods and landslides.

"The eastern section of the country will experience cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms becoming widespread rains over Bicol region which may trigger flash floods and landslides. The rest of Visayas and Mindanao will have mostly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms. The rest of Luzon will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms," it said in its 5 a.m. bulletin.

It added that moderate to strong winds blowing from the northeast to northwest will prevail over Eastern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao and coming from the southwest and south over the rest of the country. Coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be moderate to rough. - GMANews.TV