Typhoon Maysak weakened below Super Typhoon intensity on Wednesday.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Typoon Maysak was located at latitude 12.6°N and longitude 133.5°E which put it about 300 miles northwest of Yap and about 780 miles east-southwest of Luzon.  Maysak was moving toward the west-northwest at 10 m.p.h.  The maximum sustained wind speed was 135 m.p.h. and there were wind gusts to 160 m.p.h.  The minimum surface pressure was 937 mb.

Maysak appears to have gone through an eyewall replacement cycle on Wednesday.  A rainband wrapped around the existing eyewall to create to concentric eyewalls.  As more air started to converge and rise in the outer eyewall, the inner eyewall which had the stronger winds weakened.  As the inner eyewall dissipated, the core of Maysak became enlarged and it now has an eye with a diameter of 32 miles.  The maximum wind speed decreased as part of the eyewall replacement process.  If the current eye were to shrink, the wind speed could increase again because it is still over warm Sea Surface Temperatures.  However, as Maysak moves toward the west-northwest it is moving toward an area where the upper level winds are stronger.  An upper level trough located northwest of Maysak is generating stronger upper level winds, which will increase the vertical wind shear.  Maysak could intensify on Thursday, but the wind shear is expected to weaken it during the next several days.

A subtropical ridge is steering Maysak toward the west-northwest.  The upper level trough is expected to make it move a little more toward the north during the next 24 to 48 hours.  On its expected track, Maysak could be approaching Luzon in about 60 hours.  Maysak is expected to still be a typhoon when it approaches Luzon.  It could bring strong winds and locally heavy rains.