Typhoon Fengshen brought wind and rain to the Northern Marianas on Thursday.  At 10:00 p.m. EST on Thursday the center of Typhoon Fengshen was located at latitude 19.6°N and longitude 143.3°E which put it about 385 miles (620 km) south-southeast of Iwo To.  Fengshen was moving toward the northwest at 18 m.p.h. (30 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 974 mb.

Typhoon Fengshen intensified rapidly into a typhoon on Thursday as it moved over the Northern Marianas.  Fengshen brought strong, gusty winds and heavy rain to Alamagan, Agrihan and Pagan.  There was a small circular eye at the center of Typhoon Fengshen.  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 revolving around the core of Fengshen.  Storms near the core were generating upper level divergence which was pumping mass away from the typhoon.  Winds to typhoon force extended out 30 miles from the center of circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 85 miles (135 km) from the center.

Typhoon Fengshen will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next day or so.  Fengshen will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 29°C.  It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear.  Typhoon Fengshen could strengthen into the equivalent of a major hurricane on Friday.

Typhoon Fengshen will move around the western end of a ridge of high pressure over the Western North Pacific Ocean.  The ridge will steer Fengshen toward the north during the next 24 hours.  The typhoon will move toward the northeast on Saturday after it moves around the end of the ridge.  On its anticipated track Typhoon Fengshen will be south of Iwo To in about 24 hours.

Elsewhere over the Western North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Kalmaegi move closer to northern Luzon.  At 10:00 p.m. EST on Thursday the center of Tropical Storm Kalmaegi was located at latitude 16.6°N and longitude 125.0°E which put it about 250 miles (400 km) southeast of Aparri, Philippines.  Kalmaegi was moving toward the west-northwest at 12 m.p.h. (19 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 1002 mb.