Super Typhoon Bavi slightly weakens outside PAR, but remains powerful

MANILA, Philippines – Super Typhoon Bavi slightly weakened outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Tuesday morning, July 7, but it remains a powerful tropical cyclone.

As of 10 am on Tuesday, Bavi’s maximum sustained winds were down to 185 kilometers per hour (km/h), the minimum threshold for classification as a super typhoon by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

The super typhoon’s gustiness is currently up to 230 km/h.

Bavi was last spotted 1,845 kilometers east of Central Luzon, moving west northwest at 20 km/h. It is still expected to enter PAR on Tuesday evening or early Wednesday morning, July 8.

It will be given the local name Inday once it enters PAR.

PAGASA said Bavi is likely to maintain its strength as a super typhoon as it enters PAR, but it may gradually weaken into a typhoon by Thursday, July 9, as it moves near extreme Northern Luzon and heads for Japan’s Ryukyu Islands.

The chances of Bavi making landfall in the Philippines remain slim, but it will still affect parts of the country and enhance the southwest monsoon or habagat.

PAGASA expects to raise tropical cyclone wind signals for the northern and eastern portions of Northern Luzon, possibly beginning Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning.

“Due to the uncertainty in terms of radius of strong winds, the possibility of raising wind signals over the eastern portions of Southern Luzon and Visayas is not ruled out,” added the weather bureau.

The highest possible tropical cyclone wind signal could be Signal No. 2 or 3.

The enhanced southwest monsoon and the periphery of the super typhoon will also bring strong to gale-force gusts to the following areas:

Tuesday, July 7

• Most of Mindanao

Wednesday, July 8

• Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, most of Mimaropa, most of Bicol, most of Visayas, most of Mindanao

Thursday, July 9

• most of the country

Meanwhile, PAGASA has issued a separate advisory for rainfall from the southwest monsoon, which may be heaviest in these areas beginning Wednesday:

Wednesday noon, July 8, to Thursday noon, July 9

• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 millimeters): Antique, Negros Occidental, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani

Thursday noon, July 9, to Friday noon, July 10

• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Antique, Guimaras, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur

In addition, PAGASA plans to issue a gale warning by Wednesday as it predicts rough to very rough sea conditions in the northern and eastern seaboards of the Philippines.

Bavi or the future Inday would be the country’s 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