Pepito (Man-Yi) reached typhoon strength following “rapid intensification,” while Ofel (Usagi) weakened into a severe tropical storm on Friday morning, PAGASA reported.

Pepito intensified further and neared super typhoon strength on Friday morning while typhoon Ofel continued to weaken after striking northern Luzon, the state weather bureau said.

Typhoon Ofel (international name: Usagi) weakened sharply on Friday after bearing down on the Philippines' northern towns, blowing away houses in its path as authorities brace for another cyclone that could hit the capital Manila over the weekend.

Super Typhoon Ofel (Usagi) is already 165 kilometers east northeast of Echague, Isabela, or 165 kilometers east southeast of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, at 7 am on Thursday, November 14

Typhoon Ofel intensified into a super typhoon on Thursday morning prompting state weather bureau PAGASA to raise Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 5 over a portion of mainland Cagayan.

MANILA – Ofel (international name Usagi) has intensified into a super typhoon, the weather bureau said Thursday. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Ofel is packing maximum sustained winds of 185 kph near the center and gustiness of

PAGASA explained that Ofel is now in an area where the environment is currently “favorable” for tropical cyclone intensification. Due to this, the weather bureau is not ruling out super typhoon status for Ofel.

Ofel made landfall in Cagayan and weakened into a typhoon on Thursday afternoon, the state weather bureau said.