Intense Typhoon Champi churned westward over the Western North Pacific Ocean on Tuesday. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Typhoon Champi was located at latitude 17.7°N and longitude 130.9°E which put the center about 670 miles (1080 km) south-southeast of Okinawa. Champi was moving toward the west-northwest at 17 m.p.h. (28 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 185 m.p.h. (295 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 225 m.p.h. (360 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 895 mb.
Intense Typhoon Champi got even stronger on Tuesday. A circular eye with a diameter of 35 miles (55 km) was at the center of Champi’s circulation. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the the center of Typhoon Champi. Storms near the center of Champi generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the typhoon. The removal of mass caused the surface pressure to decrease.
The circulation around Typhoon Champi was large. Winds to typhoon force extended out 100 miles (160 km) from the center of Champi’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 290 miles (465 km) from the center of Typhoon Champi.
The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Champi is 44.1. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) is 30.4 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) is 74.5. Typhoon Champi is similar in intensity to Hurricane Dorian when Dorian hit the Bahamas in 2019. Champi is much larger than Dorian was.
Typhoon Champi will move through an environment that will be favorable for an intense typhoon during the next 24 hours. Champi 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. Typhoon Champi could maintain its intensity during the next 24 hours unless the inner end of a rainband wraps around the existing eye and eyewall. If concentric eyewalls form, then an eyewall replacement cycle would cause Champi to weaken.
Typhoon Champi 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 Champi toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Typhoon Champi will continue to move toward Taiwan and the southern Ryukyu Islands. Champi could approach the southern Ryukyu Islands in 48 hours.