Tropical Storm Yamaneko Moves North of Wake Island

Tropical Storm Yamaneko moved north of Wake Island on Sunday. At 4:00 p.m. EST on Sunday the center of Tropical Storm Yamaneko was located at latitude 23.4°N and longitude 166.0°E which put it about 245 miles (395 km) north of Wake Island. Yamaneko was moving toward the north at 7 m.p.h. (11 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 1000 mb.

Tropical Storm Yamaneko moved farther north of Wake Island on Sunday. The distribution of thunderstorms in Yamaneko was asymmetrical. Thunderstorms were occurring in bands in the far eastern part of Tropical Storm Yamaneko. Bands in the rest of Yamaneko’s circulation consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds. An upper level trough southeast of Japan was producing strong southwesterly winds that were blowing across the top of Tropical Storm Yamaneko. Those winds were causing strong vertical wind shear. The strong vertical wind shear was causing the upper part of Yamaneko’s circulation to tilt toward the northeast. The strong upper level winds were also blowing off the tops of thunderstorms that started to form near the center of Yamaneko and in the western part of the circulation.

Tropical Storm Yamaneko will move through an environment that will cause it to make a transition to an extratropical cyclone during the next 36 hours. Yamaneko will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are colder than 26˚C. The upper level trough southeast of Japan will continue to cause strong vertical wind shear. A combination of cooler water and strong vertical wind shear will cause Tropical Storm Yamaneko to make a transition to an extratropical cyclone.

The upper level trough will steer Tropical Storm Yamaneko toward the north-northeast during the next 36 hours. On its anticipated track, Tropical Storm Yamaneko will pass far to the west of Midway Island in 24 hours.