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Super typhoon-induced monsoon rains have claimed 15 lives in the Philippines, including a 50-year-old man and a 70-year-old farmer who were swept away by raging floodwaters in separate incidents in Bukidnon province on Mindanao island.

Super Typhoon Bavi (locally named 'Inday') has brought heavy rain across much of the Philippines. A rain-induced landslide killed 10 people in the southern Philippines on Friday, authorities said. "Ten people got buried and were killed" when soil saturated by days of rain caused the landslide in Mindanao's Sarangani province, regional civil defence director Rodrigo Sosmena told AFP.

Earlier, two people were swept away by raging floodwaters in separate incidents in Bukidnon province on Mindanao island. The first victim, identified by local authorities as 'Narding' drowned in Malaybalay City, while the second, Geronimo Sabihon, was swept away after floodwaters engulfed his light-material house near a river on the night of July 8.

The Malaybalay City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) reported flash floods forced 271 families, or 972 individuals, to evacuate from the city’s Basakan District. The CDRRMO also reported two landslides in the city’s Miglamin Village.

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Bavi is also expected to pound Taiwan's north and east, as well as Japan's remote southwestern islands, on Friday and Saturday before smashing into China, which has been hit by deadly storms this week.

No classes

The Philippine Department of Education (DepEd) suspended classes or ordered a shift to online lectures in several regions across the Philippines due to Typhoon Inday and its enhanced southwest monsoon

In the capital Metro Manila, pre-school to senior high school classes are suspended in fear of flash floods in the cities of Caloocan, Las Piñas, Malabon, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Manila, Quezon, San Juan, Mandaluyong and Navotas.

In the regions, Aurora province in Central Luzon suspended classes on all levels, both public and private schools. In the Ilocos Region, two towns in Pangasinan province also suspended classes.

In Cebu province in Central Visayas, 22 municipalities, as well as several Cebu City universities suspended classes. There are no classes in the entire province of Negros Oriental while six towns in neighbouring Negros Occidental province declared class suspensions.

In the Western Visayss region, six municipalities in the province of Antique suspended school.

In Mindanao, Iligan City declared no classes on Friday while 10 towns in the Maguindanao provinces did the same.

Both local principals and local governments are empowered to suspend classes should the weather worsen in their areas.

Wind signals up in Philippine north

The Philippine weather agency reported that Typhoon Inday has weakened from its former super typhoon category as it traversed the Philippine Sea Friday morning. It is, however, causing strong wind signals in extreme Northern Luzon.

Wind Signal Number 2 is up in the Batanes islands as well as in Cagayan province that may cause gale force winds in coastal communities and exposed upland communities, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its 5am (local time) advisory.

Pagasa has in fact advised against all kinds of sea travel in virtually all of the Philippines today and throughout the coming weekend.

“Sea travel is risky for all types or tonnage of vessels. All mariners must remain in port or, if underway, seek shelter or safe harbor as soon as possible until winds and waves subside,” Pagasa said. “Mariners of motorbancas and similarly sized vessels are advised to take precautionary measures while venturing out to sea and, if possible, avoid navigation under these conditions,” it added.

Rains until Sunday

The weather agency cautioned against intense rains even in regions far from the path of the storm. Monsoon rains, locally called Habagat, is being drawn northwards towards the entire country, with the exception of Cagayan Valley where the wind signals are hoisted.

Most of Luzon and the Visayas, as well as Zamboanga del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Norte, Camiguin, and Davao Oriental in Mindanao will experience heavy rains until Sunday, July 12, Pagasa warned.

Portions of a bridge collapsed in Maitum, Sarangani, and forced preemptive evacuations in Maguindanao and Antique. Pagasa and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources have flagged 919 villages in Western Visayas alone as high risks for severe flooding and landslides.

Heading towards Taiwan

Typhoon Bavi is expected to pound Taiwan's north and east, as well as Japan's remote southwestern islands, on Friday and Saturday before smashing into China, which has been hit by deadly storms this week.

Locals in Taiwan's port city of Keelung, which is expected to be one of the hardest hit areas on the island, stocked up on food, taped windows, and stacked sandbags along shop fronts, heeding warnings from authorities to take precautions.

"They're saying it's going to be huge; of course that's scary, right?" Keelung grocery store owner Chang Shih-huo, 76, told AFP.

"We've stocked up on some instant noodles and bread and stuff like that. Once the wind and rain really start picking up, we’ll have to close the shop."

After hitting Guam and the Northern Marianas on Monday as a super typhoon, Bavi was downgraded to a typhoon as it moved across the Pacific Ocean.

Bavi's maximum sustained wind speeds were 162 kilometres (100 miles) per hour, with gusts of around 198 kilometres per hour, on Friday -- slower than on Thursday -- the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.

"The typhoon is likely to continue weakening because environmental conditions are not favourable," CWA forecaster Wang Ping-hsiang told AFP.

Bavi's strong-wind radius of 380 kilometres (240 miles) will make it the largest typhoon to hit Taiwan in more than 30 years.

Many schools and businesses were shuttered on Friday across northern and eastern Taiwan, including the capital Taipei, and hundreds of domestic and international flights were cancelled.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te urged people in areas likely to be most affected by Bavi to remain on "high alert".

More than 20,000 troops, along with machinery, equipment and vehicles, were on standby to respond to emergencies.

(with inputs from AFP)

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