Typhoon Goni intensified rapidly into the equivalent of a major hurricane east of the Philippines on Thursday. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Typhoon Goni was located at latitude 16.2°N and longitude 132.2°E which put it about 690 miles (1115 km) east of Luzon. Goni was moving toward the west at 7 m.p.h. (11 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 145 m.p.h. (230 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 175 m.p.h. (280 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 934 mb.

Typhoon Goni intensified rapidly on Thursday. A small circular eye with a diameter of 12 miles (19 km) was at the center of Goni. The eye was surrounded by a ring of strong thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Typhoon Goni. Storms near the core generated strong upper level divergence which pumped mass away from the typhoon. The removal of mass allowed the surface pressure to decrease quickly which contributed to the rapid increase in wind speed.

The circulation around Typhoon Goni was small. Winds to typhoon force extended out 25 miles (40 km) from the center of Goni. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 100 miles (160 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Goni was 29.9. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 6.3 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 36.2.

Typhoon Goni will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Goni will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 30°C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. Goni could intensify more during the next 24 hours. If the inner end of a rainband wraps around the existing eye and eyewall, then an eyewall replacement cycle could cause Goni to weaken.

Typhoon Goni will move south of a subtropical high pressure system over the Western North Pacific Ocean. The high will steer Goni toward the west. On its anticipated track Typhoon Goni will approach the coast of Luzon in about 48 hours. Goni is likely to be the equivalent of a major hurricane when it approaches Luzon.

Elsewhere over the Western North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Atsani moved south-southeast of the Marianas. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Tropical Storm Atsani was located at latitude 10.7°N and longitude 145.3°E which put it about 245 miles (400 km) south-southeast of Guam. Astani was moving toward the northwest at 18 m.p.h. (30 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 1001 mb. Tropical Storm Atsani was forecast to move toward the northwest and to strengthen.