Although no longer classified as a super typhoon, Typhoon Inday continues to present a major hazard across vast regions of the country on Thursday, July 9, according to the state weather bureau.
In a morning update, PAGASA weather specialist Leanne Loreto stated that the center of the storm was spotted 925 kilometers east of Northern Luzon. Moving west-northwest at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour, the typhoon packs maximum sustained winds of 175 km/h and gustiness of up to 215 km/h.
Loreto emphasized that the sheer size of the weather system warrants continued vigilance.
“Kahit humina po ito ay malakas pa rin po ito na bagyo. At kung mapapansin po natin marami pa rin yung naaapektuhang wind fields at mga rain bands nitong bagyong Inday dahil nga malawak ang sakop ng bagyo,” she explained.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 has been hoisted over 12 areas, mostly situated in Northern Luzon. These include Batanes, Cagayan (including the Babuyan Islands), Isabela, the northeastern portion of Quirino, Apayao, the northern portion of Abra, Kalinga, the eastern parts of Mountain Province and Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, northern Aurora, and the central and northern areas of Catanduanes.
Heavy rain alerts have also been issued, with forecasters noting that the typhoon’s interaction with the southwest monsoon (Habagat) will trigger scattered rain showers and thunderstorms over the Bicol Region and Eastern Visayas. Meanwhile, small sea craft are barred from sailing along the northern and eastern seaboards of Luzon and the eastern coast of the Visayas due to an active Gale Warning.
Typhoon Inday is predicted to head northwestward over the Philippine Sea, making its closest approach to Extreme Northern Luzon between Friday night, July 10, and Saturday morning, July 11.
It is expected to either pass close to or make landfall on the northern coast of Taiwan before leaving the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Saturday, ultimately bound for mainland China by Sunday, July 12.
PAGASA indicated that the storm will continue to lose strength but will maintain its typhoon status until it departs the country’s jurisdiction.
It is projected to degrade into a severe tropical storm once it moves over mainland China, though forecasters added that a more rapid weakening could occur while it travels east of Taiwan due to hostile environmental conditions.