Typhoon Yinxing was spinning over the South China Sea on Friday afternoon.  At 4:00 p.m. EST on Friday the center of Typhoon Yinxing was located at latitude 18.7°N and longitude 115.4°E which put the center about 275 miles (445 km) south-southeast of Hong Kong.  Yinxing was moving toward the west at 13 m.p.h. (20 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 969 mb.

Typhoon Yinxing was the equivalent of a major hurricane on Friday afternoon as it spun over the South China Sea.  A circular eye with a diameter of 22 miles (35 km) was that the center of Typhoon Yinxing.  A ring of thunderstorms surrounded the eye and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms.  Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Yinxing’s circulation.  Storms near the core of Yinxing generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the typhoon.

The circulation around Typhoon Yinxing was a little smaller on Friday afternoon.  Winds to typhoon force extended out 50 miles (80 km) from the center of Yinxing’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 150 miles (240 km) from the center of Typhoon Yinxing.

The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Yinxing was 20.6. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 18.1 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 38.7.  Typhoon Yinxing was similar in intensity to Hurricane Delta when Delta hit Louisiana in 2020.  Yinxing is bigger than Delta was.

Typhoon Yinxing will move through an environment that will become unfavorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Yinxing will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C.  It will move under axis of an upper level ridge over the Western North Pacific Ocean.  The upper level winds are weak near the axis of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear.  However, a high pressure system over China will circulate drier air toward the northwestern part of Typhoon Yinxing.  The drier air will begin to be pulled into the northwestern part of Yinxing’s circulation.  The drier air will cause the thunderstorms in the part of Typhoon Yinxing.  The drier air is likely to cause Typhoon Yinxing to weaken during the next 24 hours.

Typhoon Yinxing will move around the southern part of a high pressure system over the Western North Pacific Ocean.  The high pressure system will steer Yinxing toward the west during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, Typhoon Yinxing will move pass south of Hong Kong during the next 24 hours.