Inday intensifies further as it heads northwest

Severe tropical storm Inday further intensifies while heading northwestward over the Philippine waters, PAGASA reported Friday.

According to its 5 p.m. bulletin, the center of the eye of Inday was last spotted 720 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan.

It is moving northwestward at 20 kilometers per hour and has maximum sustained winds of 100 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 125 km/h.

Rain showers may be experienced in several parts of the country due to the trough of the severe tropical storm but the hoisting of storm signal warnings over any area remains unlikely, the weather bureau said.

However, Inday may bring moderate to rough seas over the seaboards of Batanes (2.0 to 4.0 m) and Babuyan Islands (1.5 to 3.0 m) beginning mid to late Saturday, September 10.

PAGASA warned small seacrafts and mariners to monitor updates and take precautionary measures when venturing out to sea and, if possible, avoid navigating in these conditions during the said period.

Inday is forecast to move generally northwestward over the Philippine Sea until Sunday, September 11 before tuning more north-northwestward or northward over the sea east of Taiwan while decelerating.

It is seen to reach the typhoon category within the next 24 hours with further intensification likely to occur until Sunday or early Monday, September 12 as the severe tropical storm tracks northwestward of the country.

The slightly cooler waters east of Taiwan and the forecast slow-down period over the sea area, however, may result in the weakening trend of the severe tropical storm beginning on Monday.

PAGASA said Inday may exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility early next week.—Sundy Locus/LDF, GMA News