Tropical Storm Lionrock Drops Heavy Rain on Hainan

Tropical Storm Lionrock dropped heavy rain on Hainan on Friday. At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Friday the center of Tropical Storm Lionrock was located at latitude 19.1°N and longitude 110.2°E which put it about 50 miles (80 km) south of Haikou, China. Lionrock was moving toward the north at 7 m.p.h. (11 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 991 mb.

Tropical Storm Lionrock brought gusty winds and heavy rain to Hainan on Friday. The center of Lionrock was over Hainan. Bands of showers and thunderstorms on the northern and western sides of Tropical Storm Lionrock were dropping heavy rain over much of Hainan. Bands on the southern and eastern sides of Lionrock consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds. Storms near the center of circulation generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the tropical storm. The circulation around Tropical Storm Lionrock was large. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 220 miles (350 km) from the center of circulation.

Tropical Storm Lionrock is likely to weaken during the next 12 hours while the center of circulation moves over Hainan. Lionrock will move into an environment favorable for intensification when the center moves over the Gulf of Tonkin. Lionrock will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29˚C. It will move under the western side of a small upper level ridge. The ridge will produce southerly winds that will blow toward the top of Lionrock’s circulation. Those winds will cause some vertical wind shear, but the shear will not be strong enough to prevent intensification. Tropical Storm Lionrock is likely to intensify slowly after the center of circulation moves over the Gulf of Tonkin.

Tropical Storm Lionrock will move around the southwestern part of a subtropical high pressure system over the Western North Pacific Ocean during the next 12 hours. The subtropical high will steer Lionrock toward the northwest. On its anticipated track the center of Tropical Storm Lionrock will move across Hainan and it will emerge over the Gulf of Tonkin on Saturday. Lionrock will continue to bring gusty winds and locally heavy rain to Hainan during the next 12 hours. Heavy rain could cause flash floods in some locations. Tropical Storm Lionrock will move south of a second high pressure system that is centered over China during the weekend. The second high pressure system will steer Lionrock toward the west. Tropical Storm Lionrock could approach the coast of northern Vietnam in 36 hours.

Elsewhere over the Western North Pacific Ocean, a former tropical depression east of the Philippines strengthened to Tropical Storm Kompasu. At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Friday the center of Tropical Storm Kompasu was located at latitude 13.8°N and longitude 131.5°E which put it about 570 miles (920 km) east of Daet, Philippines. Kompasu was stationary. 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 998 mb.