Tropical Storm Lionrock intensified into a typhoon east of Okinawa on Tuesday.  At 8:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Typhoon Lionrock was located at latitude 25.3°N and longitude 132.8°E which put it about 340 miles (550 km) east-southeast of Okinawa.  Lionrock was moving toward the south-southwest at 11 m.p.h. (17 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 80 m.p.h. (130 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 100 m.p.h. (160 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 965 mb.

Lionrock is a fairly small typhoon.  Winds to tropical storm force only extend out about 150 miles (240 km) from the center.  The circulation of Typhoon Lionrock is very well organized.  A small distinct eye is visible on satellite imagery.  The eye is surrounded by a ring of strong thunderstorms.  Additional spiral rainbands are rotating around the core of Lionrock.  The thunderstorms around the eye are generating upper level divergence which is pumping out mass in all directions.

Typhoon Lionrock is in an environment that is favorable for intensification.  It is moving over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 30.5°C.  The upper level winds are weak and there is little vertical wind shear.  A small typhoon like Lionrock can intensify very quickly and it appears to be doing so.

An upper level ridge over China is steering Typhoon Lionrock slowly toward the south-southwest and that general motion is expected to continue for another day or two.  Lionrock could move into an area where the steering winds are weak and it could stall for a period of time.  Eventually, an upper level trough is expected to approach the area from the west and begin to pull Lionrock toward the north.