State weather forecasters have reported the possibility of Typhoon Hagupit to make a direct hit on the Philippines. The scenario of the strengthening typhoon bringing serious dangers to the South East Asian nation remains a grave concern.

The tropical cyclone with an international name "Hagupit" has intensified into a typhoon as it moved closer to the Philippines. Accuweather.com reported the tropical storm strengthened into a typhoon early Tuesday night PHT (Tuesday morning EST) with maximum sustained winds of 130 kph.

However, there are predictions that Hagupit will strengthen further with a possibility of becoming a super typhoon. Before reaching the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), Hagupit will bear down on the Yap Island during the first part of Wednesday night, local time.

In a report by a local news station, ABS-CBN News, the Hawaii-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center of the US Navy said on Wednesday that tropical storm Hagupit will become a super typhoon in 48 hours. As of 8 a.m. PHT Wednesday, it said the storm was packing one-minute sustained winds of 166 kph.

''Favorable sea surface temperatures, along with continually favorable upper-level conditions, will allow the system to further intensify and is expected to reach super typhoon status by TAU 48,'' the JTWC said.

By Friday, Dec. 5, JTWC also forecasted Hagupit to strengthen up to 240 kph winds when it comes closer to the Philippines. The typhoon, which will be named "Ruby" once it enters PAR on Thursday, was moving west northwest at 30 kph.

Meanwhile, Accuweather.com meteorologists have identified two scenarios for Hagupit, both involving the storm to become a powerful and dangerous typhoon. However, the Philippines will either have to face fatal impacts or will be spared depending on which path unfolds.

"If the storm takes the track into the Philippines, the impacts will be potentially very severe with widespread flooding, damaging winds, storm surge and pounding surf," stated AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Anthony Sagliani.

The danger of mudslides and flooding would become extremely more life-threatening if Hagupit crawls through the Philippines, dropping overwhelming amounts of rain.

In line with Hagupit becoming a super typhoon, local state weather forecasters said that the storm will not be as strong as super typhoon Haiyan which ravaged parts of the Philippines last year leaving a region wiped-out with thousands of deaths due to storm surges, Rappler reported.

Still fresh from the impact of Haiyan last year, the Philippines is on maximum red alert on Wednesday. Depending on Hagupit's progress to become a dangerous typhoon, all interests from the Philippines to Japan will be closely monitored.