A portion of the northern eyewall of Typhoon Champi is over Iwo To and it is bringing wind and rain to the island.  A weather station on Iwo To is reporting east-northeasterly winds at 47 m.p.h. (75 km/h) with gusts to 73 m.p.h. (118 km/h).  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Typhoon Champi was located at latitude 23.8°N and longitude 141.6°E which put it about 75 miles (120 km) south of Iwo To.  Champi was moving toward the northeast at 7 m.p.h. (11 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 115 m.p.h. (185 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 145 m.p.h. (230 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 945 mb.

The inner core of Typhoon Champi became much more well organized during the past 12 hours and it now has a clear circular eye that is approximately 30 miles (48 km) across.  The eye is surrounded by a ring of strong convection which contains the strongest winds.  The core is also generating upper level divergence which is pumping out mass.

Typhoon Champi will be in a favorable environment for another 12 hours.  It is moving over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 28.5°C.  The upper level winds are light and there is not much upper level divergence.  Champi could intensify further on Thursday, but it will move into a less favorable environment when it moves farther north.  Once Champi gets north of latitude 27°N, it will move over cooler SSTs.  Typhoon Champi will start to encounter strong upper level westerly winds at about the same time.  The combination of cooler water and more vertical wind shear will steadily weaken Champi.

Typhoon Champi is moving northward around the western end of a subtropical ridge.  When it reaches the upper level westerly winds, those winds will accelerated Champi toward the east-northeast until it transforms into an extratropical cyclone over cooler waters.  On its anticipated track the center of Champi will pass southeast of Iwo To, but it will bring strong winds and rain to that island for another 12 hours or so.