Typhoon Bualoi brought wind and rain to the Ogasawara Islands on Wednesday.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Typhoon Bualoi was located at latitude 27.6°N and longitude 142.2°E which put it about 30 miles (50 km) north of Chichijima, Japan.  Bualoi was moving toward the north at 19 m.p.h. (31 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 110 m.p.h. (175 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 130 m.p.h. (210 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 963 mb.

Typhoon Bualoi moved over the Ogasawara Islands on Wednesday.  The core of Bulaoi and the strongest winds moved just to the east of Iwo To.  The international airport on Iwo To reported winds to near typhoon force.  The center of Typhoon Bualoi passed very close to Hahajima and Chichijima.  Bualoi produced gusty winds on Iwo To, Hahajima and Chichijima.  The typhoon also dropped locally heavy rain over some of the Ogasawara Islands.

Typhoon Bualoi weakened slowly on Wednesday.  There was a circular eye at the center of circulation.  The eye was surrounded by a ring of strong thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms.  Bands of showers and thunderstorms were occurring in the northern half of Bualoi.  Bands in the southern half of the typhoon consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds.  An upper level trough west of Japan produced southwesterly winds which were blowing toward the top of the circulation.  Those winds were causing vertical wind shear and they were the probable reason for the weaker bands in the southern half of the circulation.

Typhoon Bualoi will continue to weaken.  Bualoi will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 28°C.  However, the upper level trough west of Japan will continue to cause wind shear which will weaken the typhoon.  In addition, the circulation around Typhoon Bualoi will pull drier air around the southern side of the typhoon.  The drier air will make Bualoi start to weaken more quickly.

The upper level trough west of Japan will turn Typhoon Bualoi toward the northeast on Thursday.  On its anticipated track Typhoon Bualoi will move away from the Ogasawara Islands during the next 24 hours.  The wind speeds should gradually decrease and rainfall will end quickly as Bualoi moves away from those islands.  Typhoon Bualoi is forecast to pass well to the southeast of Honshu.