Scattered rains over Bicol region, Quezon, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, NCR as Julian slightly intensifies

Tropical Storm Julian has slightly intensified as it slowed down while moving over the Philippine Sea, PAGASA said in its 11 p.m. Severe Weather Bulletin on Friday.

Cloudy skies and scattered rains rains over the Bicol region, the provinces of Quezon, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, and Metro Manila due to the storm.

As of 10 p.m. on Friday, Julian was estimated at 870 kilometers east of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan with maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph.

Julian is moving southwestward at 10 kph and is forecast to move slowly northward within 24 hours.

PAGASA said Julian is likely to remain over the Philippine Sea throughout its forecast period, far from the landmass.

The storm is most likely to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Monday, August 31.

Julian intensified into a tropical storm at 2 p.m. on Friday. It is forecast to intensify into a severe tropical storm by Saturday and to intensify into a typhoon by Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, PAGASA maintained that a Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal is unlikely and that Julian is less likely to directly cause high impact weather over the country.

Due to moderate to rough seas, small sea-crafts were advised to take precautionary measures over the seaboards of Northern Luzon and the eastern seaboards of Central Luzon. -- BAP, GMA News