 Concurrently a strengthening ridge in the mid-levels of the troposphere began to steer the storm towards the south-southeast.Following the development of a small pinhole eye, Bejisa was upgraded to tropical cyclone status at 1200 UTC on December 30, followed by intense tropical cyclone status six hours thereafter.This intensification phase was short-lived, as an eyewall replacement cycle resulted in a slight deterioration and fluctuation of the storm's organization and structure.