Typhoon Kammuri Moves Closer to the Philippines

Typhoon Kammuri moved closer to the Philippines on Saturday.  At 10:00 p.m. EST on Saturday the center of Typhoon Kammuri was located at latitude 13.2°N and longitude 130.5°E which put it about 685 miles (1100 km) east of Manila, Philippines.  Kammuri was moving toward the west at 19 m.p.h. (29 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 90 m.p.h. (145 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 110 m.p.h. (175 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 970 mb.

Typhoon Kammuri appeared to be getting better organized on Saturday night.  Visible satellite images of Kammuri  suggested that an eye was clearing out at the center of the typhoon.  The inner end of a rainband wrapped around much of the developing eye.  There was still a gap on the northwestern side of the eyewall, but the gap was getting smaller.  Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the more organized core of Typhoon Kammuri.  Storms near the core were generating upper level divergence which was pumping mass away from the typhoon.

Winds to typhoon force extended out 50 miles from the center of circulation in the northern half of Typhoon Kammuri and out 25 miles in the southern side of the typhoon.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 220 miles (355 km) from the center.  The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Kammuri was 13.9.  The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 17.0 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 30.9.

Typhoon Kammuri will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 36 hours.  Kammuri will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 29°C.  It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear.  Typhoon Kammuri will intensify and it could strengthen into the equivalent of a major hurricane.  Intensification could be more rapid once an eye and eyewall are full formed.

Typhoon Kammuri will move south of a high pressure system that extends from eastern Asia to the Western North Pacific Ocean.  The high will steer Kammuri toward the west during the next three days.  On its anticipated track Typhoon Kammuri could approach Catanduanes Islands and southeastern Luzon in about 36 hours.  Kammuri could be the equivalent of a major hurricane at that time.