MANILA — More areas in Northern Luzon were placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 early Wednesday after Super Typhoon Inday entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.
In its 5 a.m. weather bulletin, PAGASA weather specialist Chenel Dominguez said Signal No. 1 remains in effect over areas expected to experience minimal to minor impacts from strong winds.
The following areas are under TCWS No. 1:
Batanes
Cagayan, including the Babuyan Islands
Northern and central portions of Isabela
Apayao
Eastern portion of Kalinga
Northern portion of Aurora
Northern and central portions of Catanduanes
As of 3 a.m., the center of Super Typhoon Inday was estimated at 1,405 kilometers east of Northern Luzon, after entering the country’s area of responsibility.
The cyclone packs maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour near the center, with gusts reaching 230 kph, and is moving generally westward at 25 kph.
Although Inday is not expected to directly affect any part of the country at this time, its outer circulation, combined with the enhanced southwest monsoon or habagat, will bring strong to gale-force winds over several areas, including:
Pangasinan
Zambales
Bataan
CALABARZON
Most of MIMAROPA
Bicol Region
Visayas
Mindanao
PAGASA also warned that gale warnings and rough sea conditions are likely to be raised by Wednesday afternoon, particularly along the northern and eastern seaboards of Luzon and Visayas.
“We do not expect Typhoon Inday to have any direct impact on any part of the country for now. The rains we are expecting will mainly be caused by the southwest monsoon,” Dominguez said.
The southwest monsoon is expected to bring cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms over:
Zamboanga Peninsula
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)
Antique
Iloilo
Guimaras
Negros Occidental
Negros Oriental
Lanao del Norte
Sultan Kudarat
Sarangani
South Cotabato
Meanwhile, Palawan, the rest of the Visayas, and Mindanao may experience isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to the southwest monsoon, while Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon may see localized thunderstorms.
PAGASA forecasts that Inday will gradually weaken into a typhoon by Thursday afternoon or evening and is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Saturday, July 11.
elamigo/xf
