Typhoon Bising (Surigae) shifted north northeast on Thursday morning, April 22, continuing to move away from the landmass of Luzon.

In a bulletin issued 11 am on Thursday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Bising was already 375 kilometers east northeast of Calayan, Cagayan, or 320 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes.

The typhoon is moving north northeast at a slow pace of 10 kilometers per hour (km/h).

It is projected to keep heading north northeast or north on Thursday, then turn east northeast on Friday, April 23, and east on Saturday, April 24 – recurving away from the Philippines on its way out.

Bising could finally leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Saturday evening or early Sunday morning, April 25.

As of Thursday morning, Bising had maximum sustained winds of 150 km/h and gustiness of up to 185 km/h. This is weaker compared to its maximum sustained winds of 165 km/h and gustiness of up to 205 km/h on Wednesday evening, April 21.

Bising is likely to weaken into a severe tropical storm by Friday and a tropical storm by Saturday, and later into an extratropical cyclone – a low pressure system – outside PAR on Monday, April 26.

Only the following areas remain under Signal No. 1 as of 11 am on Thursday, still experiencing winds of 30 to 60 km/h:

• Batanes
• northeastern part of Cagayan (Santa Ana, Gonzaga), including Babuyan Islands

PAGASA said tropical cyclone winds that are “at least strong breeze to near gale in strength extend outward up to 370 kilometers” from Bising’s center.

“Destructive typhoon-force winds,” meanwhile, “extend outward up to 90 kilometers” from the center. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

Coastal and mountainous areas in the Ilocos Region, Apayao, Abra, and the western part of Cagayan are also seeing strong breeze to near-gale conditions due to the northeasterly wind flow enhanced by Bising.

Image from PAGASA

Meanwhile, below is PAGASA’s latest outlook for coastal waters which are also affected by Bising and the enhanced northeasterly wind flow.

Rough to high seas

Travel is risky for all vessels

• northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Luzon (waves 2.5 to 8 meters high)

Rough to very rough seas

Travel is risky for small vessels, while inexperienced mariners “should immediately seek safe harbor”

• seaboard of Aurora, seaboards of the extreme northern part of Quezon including the northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands, and northern seaboards of Bicol (waves 2.5 to 4.5 meters high)

Moderate to rough seas

Small vessels and inexperienced mariners should avoid venturing out to sea

• eastern seaboard of Bicol, northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Samar, and western seaboard of Northern Luzon and Central Luzon (waves 1.5 to 3 meters high)

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said on Wednesday it is validating reports that Bising left at least 3 people dead, 10 injured, and 1 missing.

Bising is the Philippines’ second tropical cyclone for 2021. The country usually gets an average of 20 tropical cyclones each year. (READ: LIST: PAGASA’s names for tropical cyclones in 2021)

For the next 6 months, PAGASA estimates the following number of tropical cyclones inside PAR:

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

– Rappler.com