Inday To Bring Heavy Rains, Including In Metro Manila; Floods Hit Mindanao

Metro Manila will experience Inday’s “significant” impact over the weekend, even after being downgraded to typhoon category and even if it is not forecast to make a landfall, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said on Thursday, July 9.

Under the “significant” level, several facilities may be damaged and serious injuries and danger to life are possible.

Several houses and buildings, mostly makeshift or made of unreinforced light materials, may sustain slight to moderate damage.

Power and water interruptions in several areas are possible.

Disruptions in road, rail, sea and air transportation may be expected, with many passengers stranded and facing longer travel times.

At 5 a.m. today, July 10, PAGASA issued heavy rainfall outlook due to Inday and the southwest monsoon today in Batanes, Occidental Mindoro and Antique while moderate to heavy rainfall may be experienced in Zambales, Bataan, Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Palawan, Aklan, Capiz, Iloilo, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Zamboanga del Sur, Lanao del Norte, and Lanao del Sur.

This weekend, heavy to intense rainfall is expected in Occidental Mindoro, Zambales and Bataan; moderate to heavy in La Union, Pangasinan, Benguet, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Palawan, Antique, Aklan, Capiz, Iloilo, Guimaras, and Negros Occidental.

In its 5 a.m. advisory today, PAGASA said the center of INDAY was at 620 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 150 km per hour and gustiness of up to 185 kph.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals was raised over Batanes, the eastern portion of Babuyan Islands (Babuyan Didicas and Camiguin islands) and the northeastern portion of mainland Cagayan (Santa Ana).

 Signal No. 1 is hoisted over these areas in Luzon: the rest of Babuyan Islands, the rest of mainland Cagayan, Isabela, Apayao, the northern portion of Abra (Tineg, Lagayan, Danglas, San Juan, Lagangilang, Licuan-Baay, Malibcong, Lacub, Daguioman, Dolores, La Paz), Kalinga, the eastern portion of Mountain Province (Natonin, Paracelis), the eastern portion of Ifugao (Aguinaldo, Alfonso Lista), and Ilocos Norte.

The enhanced southwest Monsoon and the periphery of Inday will bring strong to gale-force gusts over the following areas (especially in coastal and upland areas exposed to winds):

• Today and tomorrow, July 11: Most of the country.
• Sunday, July 12: Most of Luzon, most of Visayas, Zamboanga del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Norte, Camiguin, and Davao Oriental

A gale warning is also in effect over the northern and eastern seaboards of Luzon.

“Inday is forecast to generally move northwestward while remaining over the Philippine Sea and may pass closest to extreme northern Luzon between tonight and tomorrow morning. Afterwards, Inday will move toward the southern islands of Japan and may make landfall or pass close over the northern coast of Taiwan. It will then exit the PAR by tomorrow morning or afternoon and make landfall over the eastern coast of mainland China by tomorrow evening or Sunday early morning,” PAGASA said.

Inday is expected to remain as a typhoon until it exits the PAR and will then weaken into a severe tropical storm after moving further inland over mainland China, PAGASA added.

Floods hit Mindanao

In Bangsamoro, floods swept through over 30 barangays in low-lying areas in Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur.

Both provinces are close to the 220,000-hectare Liguasan Delta, a catch basin for large rivers that spring from mountain ranges in Bukidnon, Maguindanao del Sur, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato.

Areas badly hit by floods include Tambunan in Talayan, Maguindanao del Sur and Nituan in Parang, Maguindanao del Norte and parts of Cotabato City, where Bangsamoro’s capitol is located.

In Bukidnon, more than 700 families in three barangays in Malaybalay City relocated due to flash floods, based on radio reports.

Landslides rendered portions of a road impassable in Barangay Managok in the city.

Classes in six Malaybalay schools were suspended.

In Sultan Kudarat, 15 families stranded in Sitio Pakil in Barangay Barurao 1 in Lebak town were rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

Four pregnant women, six seniors and 26 children were among those rescued.

As of 8 a.m. on Thursday, the PCG recorded 507 stranded passengers and 147 rolling cargoes in 23 ports.

Philippine National Police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. on Thursday day placed police regional offices and national support units on heightened alert status to ensure operational readiness and public safety.

A Philippine Airlines Express flight, from Manila to Cotabato, was diverted to Mactan-Cebu International Airport, the Civil Aviation Authority said.

Be ready, LGUs told

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian has urged local government units to activate contingency plans, prepare relief supplies and ensure evacuation centers are ready.

Gatchalian pushed for the full implementation of the Ligtas Pinoy Act, which mandates the establishment of dedicated evacuation centers in every city and town.

In the 2026 national budget, P3.745 billion has been earmarked for the construction of evacuation centers to support the law’s implementation, he noted.

Local officials in Metro Manila, the Ilocos Region and Cagayan are preparing for Typhoon Inday’s potential impact after a blue alert status has been raised.

Office of Civil Defense spokesman Junie Castillo said authorities are monitoring the typhoon to ensure the protection of vulnerable groups, especially in high-risk areas.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority on Thursday requested mall operators in Luzon to allow free overnight parking. – With John Unson, Gerry Lee Gorit, Evelyn Macairan, Rudy Santos, Emmanuel Tupas, Bella Cariaso, Mark Ernest Villeza, Michael Punongbayan, Andrew Ronquillo