Typhoon Saudel brought wind and rain to the Ryukyu Islands on Tuesday. At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Typhoon Saudel was located at latitude 27.4°N and longitude 128.5°E which put the center about 85 miles (135 km) east-northeast of Okinawa. Saudel was moving toward the west-northwest at 13 m.p.h. (21 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 100 m.p.h. (160 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 120 m.p.h. (195 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 963 mb.
A weather station in Okinoerabu, Japan reported a sustained wind speed of 69 m.p.h. (111 km/h).
A weather station in Imagi, Japan reported 7.75 inches (197 mm) of rain.
Typhoon Saudel was maintaining its intensity on Tuesday. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the center of Saudel’s circulation. Storms near the center of Saudel generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the typhoon. The removal of mass in the upper levels was nearly equal to the convergence of mass in the lower levels of the atmosphere. So, the surface pressure remained nearly constant on Tuesday.
The circulation around Typhoon Saudel was still large. Winds to typhoon force extended out 85 miles (135 km) from the center of Saudel’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 165 miles (265 km) from the center of Typhoon Saudel.
The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Saudel is 16.5. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) is 24.2 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) is 40.7. Typhoon Saudel is similar in size and intensity to Hurricane Gustav when Gustav hit Louisiana in 2008.
Typhoon Saudel will move through an environment that will be unfavorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Saudel will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. However, Saudel will move into a mass of drier air that is east of China. Typhoon Saudel is likely to weaken gradually during the next 24 hours because of the effects of the drier air.
Typhoon Saudel will move around the southwestern part of a high pressure system that is over the Western North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Saudel toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Typhoon Saudel will move slowly away from the Ryukyu Islands. The center of Saudel will pass north of Taiwan in a couple of days. Typhoon Saudel could make landfall on the east coast of China in three days.
Typhoon Saudel will continue to produce strong winds and locally heavy rain over the Ryukyu Islands as it moves slowly away from those islands. Heavy rain is likely to cause flash floods in some locations.