MANILA (UPDATED) — Tropical cyclone Julian has escalated into a tropical storm as of Saturday, earning the international name Krathon (Thai for santol), according to the state weather agency PAGASA.
PAGASA has indicated that there remains a possibility for Julian to develop into a super typhoon.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 is currently in effect for the following areas:
- Batanes
- Cagayan, including Babuyan Islands
- Isabela
- Apayao
- Kalinga
- Eastern portion of Mountain Province (Natonin, Paracelis)
- Eastern portion of Ifugao (Aguinaldo, Alfonso Lista)
- Ilocos Norte
- Abra
- Northern portion of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran)
As of 4 p.m. Saturday, Julian was located 380 km east of Aparri, Cagayan, with sustained winds of 75 km/h near its center, gusts reaching up to 90 km/h, and was moving west-northwest at 15 km/h.
PAGASA warned that the highest potential wind signal could be raised to Signal No. 4.
Julian is expected to move west-southwest or westward from Saturday through Sunday afternoon, then shift to a northwest trajectory for the rest of Sunday through Tuesday (October 1), approaching the Batanes-Babuyan Islands area. After that, it is projected to speed north-northeastward over the waters east of Taiwan for the remainder of Tuesday.
According to PAGASA’s forecast track, landfall or a close approach over Batanes and/or Babuyan Islands on Monday through early Tuesday morning is highly probable.