Twelve areas were placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 as Super Typhoon ''Inday'' maintained its strength while moving towards the eastern coast of mainland China.

''Inday'', with maximum sustained winds of 195 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 240 kph was spotted at 1,070 km east northeast of southeastern Luzon while moving westward at the speed of 20 kph as per the 5 pm bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Service Administration (Pagasa).

As ''Inday'' approached the country, the state weather bureau raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal no. 1 over the areas of "Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Apayao, Kalinga, Isabela, the northern portion of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran), the northern and central portions of Catanduanes (Pandan, Caramoran, Bagamanoc, Panganiban, Viga, Gigmoto, Baras, San Miguel), the northeastern portion of Quirino (Maddela), the eastern portion of Ifugao (Aguinaldo, Alfonso Lista), Ilocos Norte, the eastern portion of Mountain Province (Natonin, Paracelis) and the northern portion of Abra (Tineg, Lagayan, Danglas, San Juan, Lagangilang, Licuan-Baay, Malibcong, Lacub, Daguioman, Dolores, La Paz)".

The southwest monsoon is expected to be enhanced by ''Inday'' as its rain band reached 1,700 kilometers starting Thursday. On Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon, Pagasa forecast rains of between 50 to 100 millimeters in Metro Manila, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Guimaras, Iloilo, Aklan, Palawan, Romblon, Oriental Mindoro, Batangas, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan and Zambales.

"'Inday' is forecast to move generally west northwestward over the next 12 hours. It will then turn northwestward while remaining over the Philippine Sea and may be nearest to extreme Northern Luzon by Friday (10 July) evening or Saturday (11 July) morning before heading towards the southern islands of Japan and the sea north of Taiwan," it stated.

"Inday is forecast to exit the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) by Saturday (11 July) and make landfall over the eastern coast of mainland China by Sunday (12 July)," it added. Robina Asido/PHS