Julian seen to intensify, Signal No. 1 up over Apayao, Babuyan Islands, Cagayan, Isabela

Tropical Depression Julian is expected to intensify and may reach tropical storm category Saturday morning as it moves south southwestward over Philippine Sea east of Babuyan Islands, PAGASA said.

In its 11 p.m. tropical cyclone bulletin, the state weather bureau said Signal No. 1 remains hoisted over Babuyan Islands and the eastern portion of mainland Cagayan covering the towns of Santa Ana, Gonzaga, Gattaran, Lal-Lo, Baggao, Buguey, Aparri, Santa Teresita, Camalaniugan, Peñablanca and  Ballesteros.

In a live update on Facebook, PAGASA said the northeastern portion of Isabela (San Pablo, Divilacan, Macinacon, Palanan, Cabagan, Santa Maria, Tumauini, Ilagan City, San Mariano) and the eastern portion of Apayao (Luna, Pudtol, Santa Marcela, Flora) are also under Signal No. 1.

"Julian will continuously intensify throughout the forecast period and may reach tropical storm category tomorrow morning. Furthermore, it may become a typhoon on Sunday. Rapid intensification is increasingly likely and the possibility of reaching super typhoon category is not ruled out," PAGASA said.

It said that based on the latest forecast track, Julian "may possibly make landfall over Batanes by Monday afternoon or evening as a typhoon. It will then turn northward to north northeastward for the remaining of the forecast period."

Julian is moving south southwestward at 20 kilometers per hour (km/h) with maximum sustained winds of 55 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 70 km/h.

The center of the eye was estimated at 400 km east southeast of Basco, Batanes.

"Julian is forecast to follow a looping path over the waters east of Batanes and Cagayan in the next five days. In the next 24 hours, the tropical cyclone is forecast to move south southwestward to west southwestward while decelerating," PAGASA said.

"Afterwards, it will then move west northwestward to north northwestward from Sunday (29 September) morning to Monday (30 September) evening," it added.

The weather bulletin also said there is an "increasing chance" that the track forecast will shift westward in the succeeding bulletins, bringing the projected path of Julian closer to extreme Northern Luzon.

The wind flow coming towards the circulation of Julian may bring strong to gale-force gusts over the following areas (especially in coastal and upland areas exposed to winds):

28 September: Aurora, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Catanduanes

29 September: Aurora, CALABARZON, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Marinduque, Bicol Region, Aklan, and the northern portion of Antique

30 September: Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Aurora, Metro Manila, CALABARZON, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Marinduque, and Bicol Region. —LDF, GMA Integrated News