Typhoon Vongfong is approaching Okinawa and the island is already feeling the effects of the large circulation around the typhoon.  Kadena Air Force base has been reporting sustained winds to tropical storm force for 12 hours.  At 4:00 p.m. EDT the current observation at Kadena was heavy rain with northeast winds sustained at 47 m.p.h. and gusts to 71 m.p.h.

At 2:00 p.m. EDT the center of Typhoon Vongfong was located at latitude 23.8°N and longitude 128.9°E which put it about 200 miles south-southeast of Okinawa.  Vongfong was moving toward the north-northwest at 10 m.p.h.  The maximum sustained wind speed was 125 m.p.h. and there were gusts to 155 m.p.h.

Vongfong is starting to experience a little more wind shear and it is moving into a less favorable environment.  However, it is a large typhoon and the weakening process is likely to occur slowly for the next day or so.  As a result Vongfong will bring high winds and heavy rain to Okinawa for another 12-24 hours.

When Vongfong gets north of Okinawa, it will encounter strong westerly winds.  Those stronger winds will turn it toward the northeast.  The westerly winds will also increase wind shear over Vongfong and cause it to weaken more rapidly in a couple of days.  Vongfong could still be a typhoon when in approaches southwestern Japan.