Tropical Storm Khanun Meanders over Northern Ryukyu Islands

Tropical Storm Khanun meandered over the northern Ryukyu Islands on Saturday. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Tropical Storm Khanun was located at latitude 27.5°N and longitude 129.8°E which put it about 125 miles (200 km) northeast of Okinawa. Khanun was moving toward the southeast at 8 m.p.h. (13 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 80 m.p.h. (130 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 976 mb.

Tropical Storm Khanun meandered over the northern Ryukyu Islands on Saturday. The center of Khanun’s circulation was over Amami Oshima. Bands revolving around the center of Tropical Storm Khanun were bringing rain to Okinawa, Amami Oshima and other northern Ryukyu Islands. A weather station at Kadena Air Force Base was reporting a sustained wind speed of 35 m.p.h. (56 km/h) and a wind gust of 53 m.p.h. (85 km/h).

There was a large circulation around Tropical Storm Khanun. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 225 miles (360 km) from the center of Khanun. The region near the center of circulation contained bands of showers and low clouds. Farther away from the center, a band of thunderstorms stretched around the western, southern and eastern parts of Tropical Storm Khanun. Storms in that bands generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the tropical storm.

Tropical Storm Khanun will move through an environment that will be somewhat favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Khanun will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28˚C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. However, Tropical Storm Khanun will probably not intensify during the next 24 hours, because of the lack of thunderstorms in the inner core of its circulation. The large circulation around Tropical Storm Khanun seems to be in an equilibrium with its environment and the intensity may not change much during the next 24 hours..

Tropical Storm Khanun will move around the northwestern part of a subtropical high pressure system over the Western North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Khanun slowly toward the east during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, the center of Tropical Storm Khanun will move a little to the east of the northern Ryukyu Islands during the next 24 hours. Tropical Storm Khanun will continue to produce strong, gusty winds and locally heavy rain in Okinawa, Amami Oshima and the other northern Ryukyu Islands. Prolonged heavy rain will cause flash floods in some locations.