Bising (Surigae) was downgraded from a typhoon to a severe tropical storm on Friday afternoon, April 23, as it continued to move away from Luzon.

In a bulletin issued 5 pm on Friday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Bising now has maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour (km/h) and gustiness of up to 135 km/h.

It is expected to weaken further into a tropical storm on Saturday, April 24, and into an extratropical cyclone – a low pressure system – on Monday, April 26. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

Bising was already 825 kilometers east northeast of Basco, Batanes, on Friday afternoon.

The severe tropical storm is heading northeast at 15 km/h – a direction it is expected to maintain until Friday evening. Then it would turn east southeast to east on Saturday and east to east northeast on Sunday morning, April 25.

Bising is projected to finally exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) late Saturday evening or early Sunday morning.

But before its exit from PAR, the severe tropical storm will continue to affect coastal waters.

PAGASA warned of moderate to rough seas in the northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Luzon and the eastern seaboard of Central Luzon. Waves are expected to be 1.5 to 3.7 meters high, which could be dangerous for small vessels or “inexperienced mariners.”

Image from PAGASA

Bising, which entered PAR on April 16, did not make landfall in the Philippines. But it triggered heavy rain that caused floods and landslides earlier in the week.

Signal No. 2 was the highest tropical cyclone wind signal that was raised due to Bising. By Thursday afternoon, April 22, all wind signals had already been lifted.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Bising left at least 4 people dead and 13 others injured in Bicol, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and Davao Region.

Bising is the Philippines’ second tropical cyclone for 2021. The country sees around 20 tropical cyclones a year. (READ: LIST: PAGASA’s names for tropical cyclones in 2021)

So far, PAGASA has not monitored any other potential tropical cyclone that could come after Bising. It could be the lone tropical cyclone for April, falling within PAGASA’s forecast of 0 or 1.

For the next 6 months, the state weather bureau estimates the following number of tropical cyclones inside PAR:

• May – 0 or 1
• June – 1 or 2
• July – 1 to 3
• August – 2 or 3
• September – 2 or 3
• October – 2 or 3

– Rappler.com