Inday downgraded to typhoon over Philippine Sea

MANILA, Philippines – Inday (Bavi) was downgraded from a super typhoon to a typhoon before dawn on Thursday, July 9, as it continued moving over the Philippine Sea.

Inday’s maximum sustained winds are down to 175 kilometers per hour, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in a bulletin issued at 5 am on Thursday. Its gustiness eased to up to 215 km/h.

The typhoon was located 925 kilometers east of Northern Luzon at 4 am, moving west northwest at 20 km/h.

It may be nearest to extreme Northern Luzon by Friday evening, July 10, or Saturday morning, July 11, before heading toward Japan’s southern islands and passing close to or making landfall in Taiwan’s northern coast.

The Philippines’ northernmost province of Batanes is likely to have moderate to heavy rain (50-100 millimeters) due to Inday on Friday.

But even before then, Inday may already trigger rain with gusty winds in Cagayan Valley, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Norte, Aurora, and Catanduanes on Thursday. The rest of Bicol as well as Eastern Visayas may have scattered rain and thunderstorms due to the typhoon, too.

Also on Thursday, the enhanced southwest monsoon or habagat could bring scattered rain and thunderstorms to Mimaropa, Western Visayas, the Negros Island Region, Zamboanga Peninsula, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Lanao del Norte, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and South Cotabato. The rest of Mindanao as well as Central Visayas may also see isolated rain showers or thunderstorms from the southwest monsoon.

For the next three days, rain due to the southwest monsoon might be heaviest in the following areas:

Thursday, July 9

• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Occidental Mindoro, Antique, Negros Occidental

Friday, July 10

• Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Occidental Mindoro, Antique
• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Zambales, Bataan, Palawan, Iloilo, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Zamboanga del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur

Saturday, July 11

• Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Occidental Mindoro, Antique
• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Pangasinan, La Union, Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Palawan, Aklan, Capiz, Iloilo, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental

Floods and landslides are likely.

Meanwhile, Signal No. 1 is raised in these areas as of 5 am on Thursday, with Inday bringing strong winds:

• Batanes
• Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
• Isabela
• northeastern part of Quirino (Maddela)
• Apayao
• northern part of Abra (Tineg, Lagayan, Danglas, San Juan, Lagangilang, Licuan-Baay, Malibcong, Lacub, Daguioman, Dolores, La Paz)
• Kalinga
• eastern part of Mountain Province (Natonin, Paracelis)
• eastern part of Ifugao (Aguinaldo, Alfonso Lista)
• Ilocos Norte
• northern part of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran)
• northern and central parts of Catanduanes (Pandan, Caramoran, Bagamanoc, Panganiban, Viga, Gigmoto, Baras, San Miguel)

The highest possible tropical cyclone wind signal due to Inday could be Signal No. 2.

The enhanced southwest monsoon and the periphery or outer bands of the typhoon are also bringing strong to gale-force gusts to most of the country from Friday to Saturday.

In addition, conditions at sea are worsening on Thursday.

Up to very rough seas (travel is risky for all vessels)

• Seaboards of Batanes; northern and eastern seaboards of Babuyan Islands; northeastern seaboard of mainland Cagayan – waves up to 6 meters high
• Remaining seaboards of mainland Cagayan and Babuyan Islands; seaboard of Isabela – waves up to 5 meters high
• Seaboards of Aurora and Camarines Norte; northern seaboard of Camarines Sur; northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands and Catanduanes; eastern seaboard of Northern Samar; northeastern seaboard of Eastern Samar – waves up to 4.5 meters high

Up to rough seas (small vessels should not venture out to sea)

• Northern seaboards of mainland Quezon and Northern Samar; eastern seaboards of Albay, Sorsogon, Dinagat Islands, Bucas Grande-Siargao Islands, and Davao Oriental; remaining eastern seaboard of Eastern Samar – waves up to 4 meters high
• Eastern seaboard of Surigao del Sur; southern seaboard of Davao Oriental – waves up to 3.5 meters high

Up to moderate to rough seas (small vessels should take precautionary measures or avoid sailing, if possible)

• northern seaboard of Ilocos Norte; northwestern seaboard of mainland Masbate; seaboards of Kalayaan Islands, Southern Leyte, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Norte, and Camiguin; southeastern seaboards of Leyte and Davao Occidental; southern seaboards of Bohol, Samar, and Sarangani; remaining seaboards of Bucas-Grande Islands, Eastern Samar, and Dinagat Islands – waves up to 2.5 meters high
• Seaboard of Zambales; western seaboards of Bataan and Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Island; southern seaboard of Panay Island; northern seaboards of Zamboanga del Norte and Misamis Occidental; remaining seaboards of Quezon, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, Romblon, and mainland Palawan; seaboards of Cagayancillo Islands and Cuyo Islands – waves up to 2 meters high

Inday could leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Saturday, and make landfall in China by Sunday, July 12. It might weaken further into a severe tropical storm as it crosses mainland China, or even earlier as it moves over the sea east of Taiwan.

Inday is the Philippines’ ninth tropical cyclone for 2026, and the second for July. The weather bureau earlier said two to four tropical cyclones may form within or enter PAR during the month. – Rappler.com