Tropical cyclone Inday (international name: Muifa) intensified from a severe tropical storm to a typhoon as it traversed the Philippine Sea Saturday, Sept. 10, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its 11 a.m. bulletin.
Inday now has maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 135 kph.
As of 10 a.m., the typhoon was located 495 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes, and was moving west-northwestward at 20 kph.
“Typhoon Inday remains less likely to directly bring heavy rains in the country throughout the forecast period,” the State weather bureau said.
However, PAGASA said the trough or extension of Inday may bring heavy rains during thunderstorms over the eastern section of Southern Luzon and the western portion of Central Luzon.
It may also enhance the southwest monsoon or “habagat” that could bring rains over the western sections of Southern Luzon and Visayas.
PAGASA is also not ruling out the possibility of raising tropical cyclone wind signals over parts of extreme Northern Luzon.
“The latest forecast scenario for Inday shows that while the hoisting of tropical cyclone wind signals remains less likely at this time, further westward shift in the track forecast and/or expansion in the extent of tropical cyclone winds may result in the hoisting of wind signals over portions of extreme Northern Luzon,” it said.
Based on the latest track forecast, Inday may exit the country’s area of responsibility between late Tuesday and early Wednesday, Sept. 13 to 14.