Tag Archives: HWISI

Typhoon Saudel Brings Wind and Rain to Ryukyu Islands

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.

Typhoon Saudel Approaches Ryukyu Islands

Typhoon Saudel was approaching the Ryukyu Islands on Monday night.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Monday the center of Typhoon Saudel was located at latitude 26.3°N and longitude 130.6°E which put the center about 205 miles (335 km) east of Okinawa.  Saudel was moving toward the west-northwest at 14 m.p.h. (22 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 105 m.p.h. (165 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 125 m.p.h. (200 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 961 mb.

Typhoon Saudel was weakening slowly as it approached the Ryukyu Islands on Monday night.  The eye was no longer visible at the center of Saudel’s circulation.  Typhoon Saudel appeared to be pulling some drier air into the western side of its circulation.  Some of the thunderstorms in the bands in the western half of Typhoon Saudel were weaker because of the drier.  Storms near the center of Saudel still generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the typhoon.  However, the removal of mass in the upper levels was less than the convergence of mass in the lower levels of the atmosphere.  So, the surface pressure increased on Monday.

The circulation around Typhoon Saudel was still large.  Winds to typhoon force extended out 90 miles (145 km) from the center of Saudel’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 190 miles (305 km) from the center of Typhoon Saudel.

The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Saudel is 17.8.  The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) is 26.4 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) is 44.2. 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 continue to move into a mass of drier air that is east of China.  Typhoon Saudel is likely to continue 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, the center of Typhoon Saudel will pass between Okinawa and Amami in 12 hours.

Typhoon Saudel is already producing strong winds and heavy rain in Minami Daito Jima.

Typhoon Saudel will also bring strong winds and heavy rain to the Ryukyu Islands including Okinawa and Amami.  Heavy rain is likely to cause flash floods in some locations.

 

Hurricane Lala Moves North

Hurricane Lala moved north toward the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument on Wednesday.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Hurricane Lala was located at latitude 22.2°N and longitude 171.0°W which put the center about 330 miles (530 km) southeast of Lisianski Island.  Lala was moving toward the north-northwest at 9 m.p.h. (15 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 120 m.p.h. (195 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 140 m.p.h. (220 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 955 mb.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument from Lisianski Island to Maro Reef.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument from Maro Reef to French Frigate Shoals.

Hurricane Lala maintained its intensity for much of Wednesday.  Lala was exhibiting signs of starting to weaken slowly on Wednesday afternoon.  An upper level trough that was south of the Aleutian Islands was producing southwesterly winds that were blowing toward the top of Lala’s circulation.  Those winds were causing the vertical wind shear to increase.  The increase in vertical wind shear was likely the cause of the weakening of Hurricane Lala.

There was still a small circular eye at the center of Hurricane Lala.  The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms.  Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Hurricane Lala.  Storms near the core of Lala generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane.  The removal of mass in the upper levels was slightly less than the convergence of mass in the lower levels of the atmosphere.  So, the surface pressure started to increase slowly on Wednesday afternoon.

The distribution of wind speeds in Hurricane Lala was still fairly symmetrical on Wednesday afternoon.  Winds to hurricane force extended out 30 miles (50 km) from the center of Lala’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 115 miles (185 km) from the center of Hurricane Lala.

The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Hurricane Lala is 22.1.  The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) is 11.0 and the Hurricane Wind intensity Size Index (HWISI) is 33.1.  Hurricane Lala is similar in size and intensity to Hurricane Dennis when Dennis hit Northwest Florida in 2005.

Hurricane Lala will move through an environment that will become unfavorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Lala will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 27°C.  However, the upper level trough that is south of Aleutian Islands will continue to cause the vertical wind shear to increase on Thursday.  Hurricane Lala will continue to weaken during the next 24 hours.

The upper level trough south of the Aleutian Islands will steer Hurricane Lala toward the north on Thursday.  On its anticipated track, Hurricane Lala will reach the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument on Thursday night.

Hurricane Lala will bring strong winds and heavy rain to parts of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.  The winds around Hurricane Lala will also cause high surf conditions.

Lala Rapidly Intensifies to a Major Hurricane

Hurricane Lala rapidly intensified to a major hurricane west of Hawaii on Tuesday.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Hurricane Lala was located at latitude 20.7°N and longitude 168.9°W which put the center about 495 miles (795 km) southeast of Lisianski Island.  Lala was moving toward the west-northwest at 9 m.p.h. (15 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 125 m.p.h. (200 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 150 m.p.h. (240 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 953 mb.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument from Lisianski Island to Maro Reef

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument from Maro Reef to French Frigate Shoals

Hurricane Lala rapidly intensified to a major hurricane west of Hawaii on Tuesday.  A circular eye was present at the center of Lala’s circulation.  The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms.  Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Hurricane Lala.  Storms near the core of Lala generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane.  The removal of mass caused the surface pressure to decrease.

The circulation around Hurricane Lala became more symmetrical when Lala rapidly intensified on Tuesday.  Winds to hurricane force extended out 25 miles (40 km) from the center of Lala’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 105 miles (165 km) from the center of Hurricane Lala.

The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Hurricane Lala is 23.6.  The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) is 8.8 and the Hurricane Wind intensity Size Index (HWISI) is 32.4.  Hurricane Lala is similar in size and intensity to Hurricane Dennis when Dennis hit Northwest Florida in 2005.

Hurricane Lala will move through an environment that will become unfavorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Lala will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 27°C.  It will move under the southern part of an upper level trough that is south of Aleutian Islands.  The upper level trough will produce southwesterly winds that will blow toward the top of Lala’s circulation.  Those winds will cause the vertical wind shear to increase on Wednesday.  Hurricane Lala is likely to start to weaken during the next 24 hours when the vertical wind shear increases.

The upper level trough south of the Aleutian Islands will start to steer Hurricane Lala toward the north on Wednesday.  On its anticipated track, Hurricane Lala will move toward the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

Hurricane Lala will bring strong winds and heavy rain to parts of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.  The winds around Hurricane Lala will also cause high surf conditions.

Typhoon Dolphin Hits Eastern China

Typhoon Dolphin hit the coast of eastern China near Wenzhou early on Sunday.  At 5:00 a.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Typhoon Dolphin was located at latitude 28.2°N and longitude 121.4°E which put the center about 50 miles (80 km) east of Wenzhou, China.  Dolphin was moving toward the west-northwest at 14 m.p.h. (22 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 85 m.p.h. (135 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 105 m.p.h. (165 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 954 mb.

Typhoon Dolphin made landfall on the east coast of China near Wenzhou early on Sunday.  Dolphin was a large typhoon.  Winds to typhoon force extended out 35 miles (55 km) from the enter of Dolphin’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 295 miles (475 km) from the center of Typhoon Dolphin.

The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Dolphin is 12.7.  The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) is 16.7 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) is 29.4.  Typhoon Dolphin is similar in intensity to Hurricane Isaac when Isaac hit southeast Louisiana in 2012.  Typhoon Dolphin is much larger than Isaac was.

Typhoon Dolphin will move around the southern side of a high pressure system that is over the Western North Pacific Ocean.  The high pressure system will steer Dolphin toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, the center of Typhoon Dolphin will continue to move farther inland over eastern China during the next 24 hours.

Typhoon Dolphin will bring strong winds and heavy rain to parts of eastern China.  Dolphin will bring strong winds and heavy rain to Zhejiang, Anhui, and Jiangsu.  Heavy rain is likely to cause floods in some locations.  Typhoon Dolphin could also produce a storm surge of up to 10 feet (3 meters) along parts of the east coast of China.

Even though Typhoon Dolphin will weaken as it moves farther inland, Dolphin could also drop heavy rain over parts of Henan, Shandong, Hebei, and Shanxi as it moves farther inland.

Elsewhere over the Western North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Chan-hom was still churning east of Japan and Tropical Storm Peilou formed south of Iwo To.

At 5:00 a.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Tropical Storm Chan-hom was located at latitude 32.4°N and longitude 150.5°E which put the center about 650 miles (1050 km) east-southeast of Tokyo, Japan.  Chan-hom was moving toward the west-northwest at 4 m.p.h. (6 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 984 mb.

At 5:00 a.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Tropical Storm Peilou was located at latitude 21.0°N and longitude 143.6°E which put the center about 265 miles (425 km) south-southeast of Iwo To.  Peilou was moving toward the east-southeast at 15 m.p.h. (24 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 998 mb.

Typhoon Dolphin Approaches East Coast of China

Typhoon Dolphin was approaching the east coast of China on Saturday night.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Typhoon Dolphin was located at latitude 27.9°N and longitude 122.7°E which put the center about 130 miles (210 km) east of Wenzhou, China.  Dolphin was moving toward the northwest 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 959 mb.

Typhoon Dolphin weakened gradually on Saturday as it approached the east coast of China.  Dolphin appeared to pull drier air from China into the western side of its circulation.  The drier air caused thunderstorms in bands in the western side of Typhoon Dolphin to weaken.  A small circular eye was still present at the center of Dolphin’s circulation.  The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms.  Bands of showers and thunderstorms were still occurring in the eastern side of Dolphin’s circulation.  Storms near the core of Dolphin generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the typhoon.  The removal of mass in the upper levels was less than the convergence of mass in the lower levels of the atmosphere.  So, the surface pressure increased slowly on Saturday.

The area of stronger winds in Typhoon Dolphin decreased in size on Saturday.  Winds to typhoon force extended out 35 miles (55 km) from the enter of Dolphin’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 310 miles (500 km) from the center of Typhoon Dolphin.

The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Dolphin is 11.5.  The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) is 17.0 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) is 28.5.  Typhoon Dolphin is similar in intensity to Hurricane Isaac when Isaac hit southeast Louisiana in 2012.  Typhoon Dolphin is much larger than Isaac was.

Typhoon Dolphin will move through an environment that will be unfavorable for intensification during the next 12 hours.  Dolphin will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C.  It will move under the middle of an upper level ridge that is over the Western North Pacific Ocean.  The upper level winds are weak near the middle of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear.  However, the circulation around Typhoon Dolphin will continue to pull drier air over China into its circulation.  Typhoon Dolphin is likely to continue to weaken gradually during the next 12 hours.

Typhoon Dolphin will move around the southern side of a high pressure system that is over the Western North Pacific Ocean.  The high pressure system will steer Dolphin toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, the center of Typhoon Dolphin will hit the east coast of China just to the north of Wenzhou in less about 12 hours.

Typhoon Dolphin will bring strong winds and heavy rain to parts of eastern China.  Dolphin will bring strong winds and heavy rain to Zhejiang, Anhui, and Jiangsu.  Heavy rain is likely to cause floods in some locations.  Typhoon Dolphin could also produce a storm surge of up to 10 feet (3 meters) along parts of the east coast of China.

Typhoon Dolphin could also drop heavy rain over parts of Henan, Shandong, Hebei, and Shanxi after it moves inland.

Elsewhere over the Western North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Chan-hom continued to spin east of Japan.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of Tropical Storm Chan-hom was located at latitude 32.2°N and longitude 150.8°E which put the center about 670 miles (1080 km) east of Tokyo, Japan.  Chan-hom was moving toward the west-southwest at 8 m.p.h. (13 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 987 mb.

Typhoon Dolphin Moves Toward Eastern China

Typhoon Dolphin moved away from Okinawa and toward eastern China on Friday.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of Typhoon Dolphin was located at latitude 26.6°N and longitude 126.2°E which put the center about 350 miles (565 km) east-southeast of Wenzhou, China. Dolphin was moving toward the west at 11 m.p.h. (17 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 105 m.p.h. (165 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 125 m.p.h. (200 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 948 mb.

Typhoon Dolphin maintained its intensity as it moved away from Okinawa on Friday.  A small circular eye was visible at the center of Dolphin’s circulation.  A band of thunderstorms surrounded the eye and the strongest winds were occurring in that band of storms.  Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Dolphin’s circulation.  Storms near the core of Dolphin 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 did not change much on Friday.

Typhoon Dolphin was a large typhoon.  Winds to typhoon force extended out 145 miles (235 km) in the northern half of Dolphin’s circulation.  Winds to typhoon force extended out 20 miles (30 km) in the southern half of Typhoon Dolphin.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 305 miles (490 km) from the center of Dolphin’s circulation.

The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Dolphin is 17.8.  The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) is 32.3 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) is 50.1.  Typhoon Dolphin is similar in size and intensity to Hurricane Frances when Frances hit South Florida in 2004.

Typhoon Dolphin will move through an environment that will become less favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Dolphin will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 30°C.  It will move under the middle of an upper level ridge that is over the Western North Pacific Ocean.  The upper level winds are weak near the middle of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear.  However, the circulation around Typhoon Dolphin could pull drier air over China into its circulation.  Typhoon Dolphin is likely to start to weaken gradually as it moved closer to eastern China.

Typhoon Dolphin will move around the southern side of a high pressure system that is over the Western North Pacific Ocean.  The high pressure system will steer Dolphin toward the west during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, the center of Typhoon Dolphin could hit the east coast of China in less than 48 hours.

The large circulation around Typhoon Dolphin will continue to produce strong winds and locally heavy rain to the Ryukyu Islands on Saturday.

Typhoon Dolphin will bring strong winds and heavy rain to parts of eastern China by the end of the weekend.  Dolphin will bring strong winds and heavy rain to Zhejiang, Anhui, and Jiangsu.  Heavy rain is likely to cause floods in some locations.  Typhoon Dolphin could also produce a storm surge of up to 10 feet (3 meters) along parts of the east coast of China.

Elsewhere over the Western North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Chan-hom weakened east of Japan.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of Tropical Storm Chan-hom was located at latitude 32.3°N and longitude 157.3°E which put the center about 1100 miles (1775 km) east of Tokyo, Japan.  Chan-hom was moving toward the northwest at 18 m.p.h. (30 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 990 mb.

Typhoon Dolphin Hits Okinawa

Typhoon Dolphin hit Okinawa on Thursday evening.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Typhoon Dolphin was located at latitude 27.2°N and longitude 128.3°E which put the center about 25 miles (40 km) north-northeast of Okinawa.  Dolphin was moving toward the west at 17 m.p.h. (28 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 955 mb.

Typhoon Dolphin started to intensify on Thursday evening as it approached Okinawa.  A small circular eye was visible at the center of Dolphin’s circulation on satellite and radar images.   Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Dolphin’s circulation.    Storms near the core of Dolphin generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the typhoon.  The removal of mass in the upper levels was greater than the convergence of mass in the lower levels of the atmosphere.  So, the surface pressure decreased a little on Thursday.

The eye of Typhoon Dolphin was passing just to the north of Okinawa.  The southern part of the eyewall of Dolphin was passing over northern Okinawa.

A weather station at Naha Airport (ROAH) in Okinawa reported a sustained wind speed of 46 m.p.h. (74 km/h) and a wind gust of 61 m.p.h. (98 km/h).

Typhoon Dolphin was a large typhoon.  Winds to typhoon force extended out 140 miles (220 km) in the northern half of Dolphin’s circulation.  Winds to typhoon force extended out 70 miles (110 km) in the southern half of Typhoon Dolphin.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 310 miles (500 km) from the center of Dolphin’s circulation.

The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Dolphin is 16.5.  The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) is 38.3 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) is 54.8

Typhoon Dolphin will move through an environment that will be favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Dolphin will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 30°C.  It will move under the middle of an upper level ridge that is over the Western North Pacific Ocean.  The upper level winds are weak near the middle of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear.  Typhoon Dolphin could intensify on Friday as long as Okinawa does not disrupt the inner core of its circulation..

Typhoon Dolphin will move around the southern side of a high pressure system that is over the Western North Pacific Ocean.  The high pressure system will steer Dolphin toward the west during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, the center of Typhoon Dolphin will move west of the Ryukyu Islands on Friday.  Dolphin could hit the east coast of China in less than 48 hours.

Typhoon Dolphin will continue to bring strong winds and heavy rain to the Ryukyu Islands on Friday.  The strongest winds and heaviest rain will occur in Okinawa.  Heavy rain will cause flash floods in some locations.  Typhoon Dolphin could also cause a storm surge of up to 10 feet (3 meters) along the coast of some of the islands.

Even the center of Typhoon Dolphin will pass north of Taiwan, bands in the southern part of Dolphin’s circulation will drop heavy rain on northern Taiwan.

Typhoon Dolphin will also bring strong winds and heavy rain to eastern China.

Elsewhere over the Western North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Chan-hom formed southeast of Japan.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Tropical Storm Chan-hom was located at latitude 29.6°N and longitude 160.3°E which put the center about 1300 miles (2095 km) east-southeast of Tokyo, Japan.  Chan-hom was moving toward the northwest at 17 m.p.h. (28 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 987 mb.

Typhoon Dolphin Continues Toward Okinawa

Typhoon Dolphin continued to move toward Okinawa on Wednesday.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Typhoon Dolphin was located at latitude 26.3°N and longitude 132.9°E which put the center about 355 miles (570 km) east of Okinawa.  Dolphin was moving toward the west at 15 m.p.h. (24 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 90 m.p.h. (145 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 115 m.p.h. (185 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 956 mb.

Typhoon Dolphin weakened slowly on Wednesday.  The circulation around Dolphin pulled some drier air close to the core of the typhoon.  The drier air caused thunderstorms in some parts of Typhoon Dolphin to weaken.

There was still a small circular eye at the center of Typhoon Dolphin.  The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms.   Bands of showers and thunderstorms still were revolving around the core of Dolphin’s circulation.  There were wider areas of clear air in between the rainbands.  Storms near the core of Dolphin generated less upper level divergence that pumped less mass away from the typhoon. The removal of mass in the upper levels was less than the convergence of mass in the lower levels of the atmosphere.  So, the surface pressure increased on Wednesday.

The circulation around Typhoon Dolpin was still large on Wednesday.  Winds to typhoon force extended out 140 miles (220 km) from the center of Dolphin’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 305 miles (490 km) from the center of Typhoon Dolphin.

The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Dolphin is 13.9.  The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) is 44.7 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) is 58.6. Typhoon Dolphin is similar in intensity to Hurricane Sandy was when Sandy hit the East Coast of the U.S. in 2012.  Typhoon Dolphin is not quite as big as Sandy was.

Typhoon Dolphin will move through an environment that will be favorable for a strong typhoon during the next 24 hours.  Dolphin will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 30°C.  It will move under the middle of an upper level ridge that is over the Western North Pacific Ocean.  The upper level winds are weak near the middle of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear.  However, the drier air being pulled into Dolphin’s circulation will inhibit intensification.  Typhoon Dolphin is likely to maintain its intensity on Thursday.

Typhoon Dolphin will move around the southern side of a high pressure system that is over the Western North Pacific Ocean.  The high pressure system will steer Dolphin toward the west during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, the center of Typhoon Dolphin will be near Minami Daito Jima in 12 hours. The center of Typhoon Dolpin will approach Okinawa in 24 hours,

Typhoon Dolphin will bring strong winds and heavy rain to Minami Daito Jima and to the central Ryukyu Islands including Okinawa later this week.  Heavy rains are likely to cause flash floods in some locations.  Typhoon Dolphin could also cause a storm surge of up to 10 feet (3 meters) along the coast of some of the islands.

Elsewhere over the Western North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Kujira dropped heavy rain on parts of Luzon.  Kujira weakened to a tropical depression after the center moved over Luzon.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Tropical Depression Kujira was located at latitude 17.3°N and longitude 121.6°E which put the center about 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Cauayan, Philippines.  Kujira was moving toward the east-southeast at 7 m.p.h. (11 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 35 m.p.h. (55 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 997 mb.

 

Typhoon Dolphin Moves Toward Okinawa

Typhoon Dolphin moved toward Okinawa on Tuesday.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Typhoon Dolphin was located at latitude 25.5°N and longitude 137.7°E which put the center about 655 miles (1055 km) east of Okinawa.  Dolphin was moving toward the west at 11 m.p.h. (17 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 115 m.p.h. (185 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 145 m.p.h. (235 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 943 mb.

The intensity of Typhoon Dolphin fluctuated a little on Tuesday, but Dolphin ended the day as strong as it was when the day started.  A circular eye with a diameter of 25 miles (40 km) was at the center of Dolphin’s circulation.  The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms.

Typhoon Dolphin appeared to pull some drier air into its circulation on Tuesday.  Bands of showers and thunderstorms still were revolving around the core of Dolphin’s circulation.  However, there were wider areas of clear air in between the rainbands.  Storms near the core of Dolphin generated strong 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 did not change much again on Tuesday.

The circulation around Typhoon Dolpin got even larger on Tuesday.  Winds to typhoon force extended out 130 miles (210 km) from the center of Dolphin’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 290 miles (465 km) from the center of Typhoon Dolphin.

The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Dolphin is 20.6.  The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) is 40.6 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) is 61.2.  Typhoon Dolphin is similar in intensity to Hurricane Irma was when Irma hit South Florida in 2017.  Typhoon Dolphin is much larger than Irma was.

Typhoon Dolphin will move through an environment that will be favorable for a powerful typhoon during the next 24 hours.  Dolphin will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C.  It will move under the middle of an upper level ridge that is over the Western North Pacific Ocean.  The upper level winds are weak near the middle of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear.  Typhoon Dolphin is likely to maintain its intensity on Wednesday unless another eyewall replacement cycle occurs.

Typhoon Dolphin will move around the southern side of a high pressure system that is over the Western North Pacific Ocean.  The high pressure system will steer Dolphin toward the west during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, the center of Typhoon Dolphin will be near Minami Daito Jima in less than 36 hours.  The center of Typhoon Dolpin will be near Okinawa in 48 hours,

Typhoon Dolphin will bring strong winds and heavy rain to Minami Daito Jima and to the central Ryukyu Islands including Okinawa later this week.  Heavy rains are likely to cause flash floods in some locations.  Typhoon Dolphin could also cause a storm surge of up to 10 feet (3 meters) along the coast of some of the islands.

Elsewhere over the Western North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Kujira formed west of Luzon.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Tropical Storm Kujira was located at latitude 17.6°N and longitude 119.0°E which put the center about 260 miles (420 km) northwest of Manila, Philippines.  Kujira was moving toward the west-northwest at 3 m.p.h. (5 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 999 mb.