Pabuk Weakens to a Tropical Depression

Former Tropical Storm Pabuk weakened to a tropical depression east of southern Vietnam during Tuesday night.  At 4:00 a.m. EST on Wednesday the center of Tropical Depression Pabuk was located at latitude 9.3°N and longitude 110.0°E which put the center about 260 miles (420 km) east-southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.  Pabuk was moving toward the south-southwest at 13 m.p.h. (20 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 30 m.p.h. (50 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1005 mb.

Former Tropical Storm Pabuk weakened to a tropical depression during Tuesday night.  A surface high pressure over eastern Asia produced strong northeasterly winds along the east coast of Vietnam.  Those winds transported cooler, drier air into Pabuk’s circulation.  The cooler drier air caused many of the thunderstorms in former Tropical Storm Pabuk to dissipate.  Pabuk’s circulation consisted primarily of bands of showers and lower clouds revolving around the surface center.

Tropical Depression Pabuk will move through an environment unfavorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Pabuk will move over water where where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C.  It will move under the western part of an upper level ridge over the Western North Pacific Ocean.  The upper level ridge will produce southeasterly winds that will blow toward the top of Pabuk’s circulation.  The combination of southeasterly winds in the upper levels and northeasterly winds in the lower levels will cause strong vertical wind shear.   The surface high pressure system over eastern Asia will continue to transport cooler, drier air into Tropical Depression Pabuk.  The combination of strong vertical wind shear and cooler, drier air will cause Tropical Depression Pabuk to continue to weaken during the next 24 hours.

Tropical Depression Pabuk will move around the southeastern side of the high pressure system over eastern Asia.  The high pressure system will steer Pabuk toward the southwest during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, Tropical Depression Pabuk will remain east of Vietnam.