Imagery from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Japan's Himawari weather satellite program shows the eye of Super Typhoon Pepito slamming into Catanduanes on Saturday night. US NOAA/Himawari-9 

MANILA (UPDATED) -- Super Typhoon Pepito has made landfall over over Panganiban, Catanduanes at 9:40 p.m. Saturday, state weather bureau PAGASA said.

The tropical cyclone was packing maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 325 kph at around 10 p.m. Saturday near Catanduanes.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 5 remains in Catanduanes and northeastern Camarines Sur (Caramoan, Garchitorena, Lagonoy, Presentacion).

Meanwhile, northeastern Albay (City of Tabaco, Tiwi, Malinao, Malilipot, Bacacay, Rapu-Rapu), eastern Camarines Sur (Siruma, Tinambac, Goa, San Jose, Tigaon, Sagñay, Calabanga), Camarines Norte, and Pollilo Islands are under signal no. 4.

Signal No. 3

Northern Sorsogon (Prieto Diaz, City of Sorsogon, Gubat, Barcelona, Castilla, Casiguran, Pilar, Donsol), the rest of Albay, the rest of Camarines Sur, the northeastern portion of Quezon (Calauag, Guinayangan, Tagkawayan, Buenavista, Lopez, Quezon, Perez, Alabat, Gumaca, Plaridel, Atimonan, Real, General Nakar, Infanta, Mauban, Sampaloc), the eastern portion of Laguna (Santa Maria, Famy, Mabitac, Pakil, Pangil, Siniloan, Paete, Kalayaan, Lumban, Cavinti), the eastern and central portions of Rizal (Pililla, Tanay, City of Antipolo, Rodriguez, Baras, San Mateo, Morong, Teresa), Aurora, the northern and eastern portions of Bulacan (Norzagaray, San Miguel, San Ildefonso, San Rafael, Doña Remedios Trinidad, Angat, City of San Jose del Monte), the northeastern portion of Pampanga (Candaba, Arayat, Magalang), the eastern portion of Tarlac (Concepcion, La Paz, Victoria, City of Tarlac, Pura, Ramos, Anao, San Manuel, Moncada, Gerona, Paniqui), Nueva Ecija, the eastern portion of Pangasinan (Umingan, Balungao, San Quintin, Natividad, Rosales, Santa Maria, Tayug, San Nicolas), Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, and the southernmost portion of Isabela (San Agustin, Jones)

Signal No. 2

The rest of Sorsogon, Ticao Island, Burias Island, Marinduque, the rest of Quezon, the rest of Laguna, the rest of Rizal, Cavite, the northern portion of Batangas (City of Tanauan, Santo Tomas, Talisay, Lipa City, Malvar, Balete, Mataasnakahoy, Laurel, Padre Garcia), Metro Manila, Bataan, Zambales, the rest of Tarlac, the rest of Pampanga, the rest of Bulacan, Kalinga, Abra, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, the southern portion of Apayao (Conner), Ilocos Sur, La Union, the rest of Pangasinan, the rest of Isabela, and the southwestern portion of Cagayan (Enrile, Tuao, Solana, Tuguegarao City, Piat)

Northern Samar, the northern portion of Samar (Matuguinao, Calbayog City, Santa Margarita, San Jorge, San Jose de Buan, Gandara), and the northern portion of Eastern Samar (Dolores, Maslog, Jipapad, Arteche, Oras, San Policarpo)

Signal No. 1

The rest of Masbate, Romblon, the rest of Batangas, the rest of mainland Cagayan (Peñablanca, Iguig, Santo Niño, Lasam, Gattaran, Baggao, Amulung, Alcala, Lal-Lo, Allacapan, Santa Ana, Gonzaga, Santa Teresita, Buguey, Camalaniugan, Aparri, Ballesteros, Abulug, Pamplona, Claveria, Sanchez-Mira, Santa Praxedes, Rizal), the rest of Apayao, Ilocos Norte, the northern and central portions of Oriental Mindoro (Puerto Galera, San Teodoro, Naujan, Baco, Victoria, Socorro, Pinamalayan, Bansud, Gloria, Pola, City of Calapan, Bongabong, Roxas, Mansalay), and the northern and central portions of Occidental Mindoro (Sablayan, Santa Cruz, Mamburao, Abra de Ilog, Paluan) including Lubang Islands

Central Samar (Santa Rita, Villareal, Zumarraga, Pinabacdao, Almagro, Talalora, Santo Niño, Calbiga, Daram, Basey, Tagapul-An, San Sebastian, Jiabong, City of Catbalogan, Motiong, Paranas, Hinabangan, Pagsanghan, Tarangnan), the central portion of Eastern Samar (Can-Avid, City of Borongan, Taft, Maydolong, Balangkayan, Sulat, San Julian), Biliran, the northern portion of Leyte (Tunga, Pastrana, San Miguel, Palo, Calubian, Leyte, Carigara, Babatngon, Jaro, San Isidro, Santa Fe, Villaba, Capoocan, Alangalang, Tabango, Tacloban City, Kananga, Barugo), the northernmost portion of Cebu (Daanbantayan, Medellin) including Bantayan Islands, and the northernmost portion of Iloilo (Carles)

Pepito may make another landfall over northern Quezon or southern Aurora Sunday noon or afternoon, according to PAGASa

It will then cross northern Central Luzon and southern Northern Luzon Sunday afternoon and evening before emerging over the West Philippine Sea. Pepito will be out of the Philippine area of responsibility on Monday.

PAGASA forecast track of Super Typhoon Pepito

Heavy to torrential rains will batter the following areas:

• Bicol through early Sunday

• eastern Luzon early to midday Sunday

• Northern and Central Luzon Sunday afternoon and evening

Metro Manila may be rainiest between late morning to evening Sunday.

Destructive winds, torrential rains, and storm surge may cause widespread and serious damage, flooding, and landslides in many parts of Luzon, especially along the immediate path of the typhoon.

PAGASA rainfall forecast for Super Typhoon Pepito

'POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC'

PAGASA earlier warned that the super typhoon could have a "potentially catastrophic" impact, with millions of people at risk from storm surges.

More than 650,000 people have fled their homes ahead of the Super Typhoon's landfall, becoming the sixth major storm to pummel the archipelago nation in the past month.

"Potentially catastrophic and life-threatening situation looms for northeastern Bicol region as Super Typhoon 'Pepito' further intensifies," the forecaster warned.

Up to 14-meter (46-feet) high seas were expected around Catanduanes, while more than 7.6 million people were at risk from storm surges of one to three meters, the forecaster said.

At least 163 people died in the five storms that pounded the Philippines in recent weeks that also left thousands homeless and wiped out crops and livestock.

The government urged people Saturday to heed warnings to flee to safety.

"If preemptive evacuation is required, let us do so and not wait for the hour of peril before evacuating or seeking help, because if we did that we will be putting in danger not only our lives but also those of our rescuers," Interior Undersecretary Marlo Iringan said.

In Albay province, Legazpi City grocer Myrna Perea was sheltering with her fruit vendor husband and their three children in a school classroom with nine other families after they were ordered to leave their shanty.

Conditions were hot and cramped -- the family spent Friday night sleeping together on a mat under the classroom's single ceiling fan -- but Perea said it was better to be safe.

"I think our house will be wrecked when we get back because it's made of light materials -- just two gusts are required to knock it down," Perea, 44, told AFP.

"That's why we evacuated. Even if the house is destroyed, the important thing is we do not lose a family member."

Scientists have warned climate change is increasing the intensity of storms, leading to heavier rains, flash floods and stronger gusts.

About 20 big storms and typhoons hit the Southeast Asian nation or its surrounding waters each year, killing scores of people, but it is rare for multiple such weather events to take place in a small window. - with reports from Ariel Rojas, ABS-CBN News; Agence France-Presse