Tropical Storm Paolo has intensified and is expected to make landfall over Isabela or the northern part of Aurora on Friday morning, the state weather bureau said.
Paolo was last spotted around 5 a.m. at 705 kilometers east of Infanta, Quezon, packing maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 80 kph. It is moving west-northwest at 20 kph.
Forecaster Chenelle Dominguez said Paolo could further intensify into a severe tropical storm before landfall.
“Nakikita din natin mag-i-intensify ito ulit prior to landfall into a severe tropical storm category at inaasahan natin yung pag-landfall niya bukas ng umaga dito sa May Isabela or northern portion ng Aurora,” she said.
Signal No. 1 has been raised over Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, northern Zambales, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, northern Bulacan, northern Pampanga, northern Quezon including Polilio Islands, and northern Catanduanes.
Heavy rains are expected once Paolo crosses Luzon, with over 200 millimeters possible in Isabela and Cagayan. Rainfall of 100 to 200 mm may be experienced in the Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, and parts of Central Luzon, while 50 to 100 mm could fall in Bataan, Zambales, Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija.
The storm is also projected to generate storm surges of one to two meters along the coasts of Aurora, Cagayan, Isabela, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Catanduanes.
