MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Cyclone Inday has weakened into a typhoon while over the Philippine Sea but it may pass closest to extreme Northern Luzon between Friday evening and Saturday morning, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Thursday.
Nathaniel Servando, Pagasa chief, said Signal No. 1 was up over Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Isabela, the northeastern portion of Quirino, Apayao, the northern portion of Abra, Kalinga, the eastern portion of Mountain Province, the eastern portion of Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, the northern portion of Aurora, and the northern and central portions of Catanduanes.
Estimated to be at 925 kilometers east of Northern Luzon, the typhoon is moving west-northwestward at 20 kilometers per hour (kph), packing maximum sustained winds of 175 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 215 kph, Servando said.
“Inday is forecast to gradually weaken but will remain as a typhoon until it exits the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Saturday,” he said.
Pagasa said other parts of the archipelago including Mindanao and Visayas will have scattered and isolated rain showers and thunderstorms due to the southwest monsoon or habagat.
Meanwhile, Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will have partly cloudy to overcast skies with isolated downpours or thunderstorms owing to the effect of the localized thunderstorms.