The storm forecast of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said that Julian - still a tropical depression in the Philippine Sea on the morning of September 28 - could make landfall in Batanes on September 30 as a storm and could even strengthen into a super typhoon - Rappler reported.
According to the latest storm news from PAGASA, at 5:00 a.m. on September 28, the center of tropical depression Julian was at about 18.6 degrees north latitude, 125.4 degrees east longitude, 400km east of Aparri, Cagayan.
Maximum winds near the center of the tropical depression are 55 km/h, gusting to 70 km/h, central pressure is 1002 hPa.
The depression is moving south at a speed of 10 km/h. The range of strong winds extends out to 360km from the center of the tropical depression.
PAGASA warned that the tropical depression's wind flow may also bring strong to typhoon-force gusts in some areas, especially in coastal areas and highlands exposed to the wind on September 28, including Aurora, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur and Catanduanes.
Rough seas with waves as high as 4 meters on the coast of Batanes, Babuyan Islands and the east coast of mainland Cagayan. Ships are advised not to venture out to sea under these conditions.
Moderate sea rough with waves as high as 3 meters over the rest of the Cagayan coast and the Isabela coast.
A high wind warning is also likely to be issued for the northern coast of Luzon.
Julian is forecast to follow a circular path through the seas east of Batanes and Cagayan over the next 5 days.
In the next 12 hours, the tropical depression is forecast to move southwest before turning westward on the afternoon of September 28 while slowing down.
It will then move northwestward from tomorrow (29 September) to Tuesday (1 October) before turning north to northeastward for the remainder of the forecast period.
Based on the latest forecast track, Julian could make landfall in Batanes in the afternoon or evening of September 30 or evening at typhoon level and could leave the Philippine Forecast Area (PAR) by Wednesday evening (2 October) to early Thursday morning (3 October).
Julian will continue to strengthen throughout the forecast period and could reach tropical storm strength today (28.9). It could reach typhoon status on September 30, and could rapidly intensify and could reach super typhoon status.
Julian is the 10th tropical storm to hit the Philippines in 2024 and the sixth tropical storm in September alone.
PAGASA also continues to monitor Tropical Storm Jebi, which is currently outside the PAR. At 2:00 a.m. on September 28, the center of Typhoon Jebi was at about 19.4 degrees north latitude, 144.5 degrees east longitude, 2,420 km east of the northernmost tip of Luzon.
Maximum winds near the center of the storm reached 75 km/h, gusting to 90 km/h. The storm is moving east-northeast at 20 km/h.
PAGASA previously said Jebi did not expect to enter PAR. The storm is likely to strengthen into a typhoon and threaten Taiwan (China) next week.
Jebi is the 17th tropical storm of the 2024 typhoon season in the Western Pacific and the 7th typhoon of September - the month with the highest number of storms.
