Tropical Storm Khanun Meanders over Northern Ryukyu Islands

Tropical Storm Khanun meandered over the northern Ryukyu Islands on Saturday. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Tropical Storm Khanun was located at latitude 27.5°N and longitude 129.8°E which put it about 125 miles (200 km) northeast of Okinawa. Khanun was moving toward the southeast at 8 m.p.h. (13 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 80 m.p.h. (130 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 976 mb.

Tropical Storm Khanun meandered over the northern Ryukyu Islands on Saturday. The center of Khanun’s circulation was over Amami Oshima. Bands revolving around the center of Tropical Storm Khanun were bringing rain to Okinawa, Amami Oshima and other northern Ryukyu Islands. A weather station at Kadena Air Force Base was reporting a sustained wind speed of 35 m.p.h. (56 km/h) and a wind gust of 53 m.p.h. (85 km/h).

There was a large circulation around Tropical Storm Khanun. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 225 miles (360 km) from the center of Khanun. The region near the center of circulation contained bands of showers and low clouds. Farther away from the center, a band of thunderstorms stretched around the western, southern and eastern parts of Tropical Storm Khanun. Storms in that bands generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the tropical storm.

Tropical Storm Khanun will move through an environment that will be somewhat favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Khanun will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28˚C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. However, Tropical Storm Khanun will probably not intensify during the next 24 hours, because of the lack of thunderstorms in the inner core of its circulation. The large circulation around Tropical Storm Khanun seems to be in an equilibrium with its environment and the intensity may not change much during the next 24 hours..

Tropical Storm Khanun will move around the northwestern part of a subtropical high pressure system over the Western North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Khanun slowly toward the east during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, the center of Tropical Storm Khanun will move a little to the east of the northern Ryukyu Islands during the next 24 hours. Tropical Storm Khanun will continue to produce strong, gusty winds and locally heavy rain in Okinawa, Amami Oshima and the other northern Ryukyu Islands. Prolonged heavy rain will cause flash floods in some locations.

Hurricane Dora Churns Toward the Central Pacific

Hurricane Dora churned toward the Central Pacific Ocean on Friday night. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of Hurricane Dora was located at latitude 13.7°N and longitude 130.1°W which put it about 1735 miles (2790 km) east of the South Point, Hawaii. Dora was moving toward the west at 18 m.p.h. (30 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 972 mb.

Hurricane Dora weakened gradually on Friday as it moved over slightly cooler water. An eye was no longer visible on satellite images at the center of Dora’s circulation. The inner end of a rainband wrapped all the way into the center of circulation. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the center of Hurricane Dora. Storms near the center generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane.

The circulation around Hurricane Dora was still very small. Winds to hurricane force extended out 20 miles (30 km) from the center of Dora’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 45 miles (75 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) was 17.8. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was only 5.4 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 23.2.

Hurricane Dora will move through an environment that will continue to become less favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Dora will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 26.5C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. Hurricane Dora is likely to continue to weaken gradually during the next 24 hours. Since the circulation around Hurricane Dora is so small, any changes in the environment will have large effects on the intensity of Dora.

Hurricane Dora will move south of a subtropical high pressure system over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Dora toward the west during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Hurricane Dora will move over the Central Pacific Ocean during the weekend. Dora could pass south of Hawaii early next week.

Tropical Storm Khanun Brings Gusty Winds and Rain Back to Okinawa

Tropical Storm Khanun brought gusty winds and rain back to Okinawa on Friday night. A weather station at Kadena Air Force Base reported a sustained wind speed of 52 m.p.h. (84 km/h) and a wind gust of 69 m.p.h. (111 km/h). At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of Tropical Storm Khanun was located at latitude 27.7°N and longitude 127.2°E which put it about 100 miles (160 km) northwest of Okinawa. Khanun was moving toward the east at 5 m.p.h. (8 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 80 m.p.h. (130 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 972 mb.

Former Typhoon Khanun weakened to a tropical storm on Friday. The bands in the inner core of Khanun’s circulation consisted of low clouds and showers. Bands of thunderstorms were located in the eastern and southern parts of Tropical Storm Khanun. Bands in the northwestern part of Khanun also consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds. The bands of thunderstorms generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away to the east of the tropical storm. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 200 miles (325 km) from the center of Khanun’s circulation.

Tropical Storm Khanun will move through an environment that will be somewhat favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours . Khanun will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28˚C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. However, Tropical Storm Khanun is unlikely to intensify during the next 24 hours, because of the lack of thunderstorms in the inner core of its circulation. The large circulation around Tropical Storm Khanun seems to be in an equilibrium with its environment and the intensity may not change much during the next 36 hours..

Tropical Storm Khanun will move around the northwestern part of a subtropical high pressure system over the Western North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Khanun toward the east during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, the center of Tropical Storm Khanun will pass north of Okinawa in 12 hours. The center of Khanun could pass over Amami Oshima in less than 24 hours. Tropical Storm Khanun will continue to produce strong, gusty winds and locally heavy rain in Okinawa, Amami Oshima and the other northern Ryukyu Islands. Heavy rain will cause flash floods in some locations.

Hurricane Dora Strengthens to Cat. 4

Hurricane Dora strengthened to Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean on Thursday. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Hurricane Dora was located at latitude 14.1°N and longitude 123.4°W which put it about 2160 miles (3480 km) east of the South Point, Hawaii. Dora was moving toward the west at 18 m.p.h. (30 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 140 m.p.h. (225 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 170 m.p.h. (280 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 950 mb.

Hurricane Dora intensified to Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale on Thursday. A small circular eye was at the center of Dora’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 Dora. Storms Near the core generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane.

The circulation around Hurricane Dora remained very small. Winds to hurricane force extended out 20 miles (30 km) from the center of Dora’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 45 miles (75 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) was 28.3. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was only 5.7 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 34.0. Hurricane Dora was similar in size and intensity to Hurricane Charley when Charley hit Southwest Florida in 2004.

Hurricane Dora will move through an environment that will become slightly less favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Dora will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 27˚C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. Hurricane Dora could start to weaken as it moves over slightly cooler water. Dora could also start to weaken if the inner end of a rainband wraps around the existing eye and eyewall. Since the circulation around Hurricane Dora is so small, any changes in the environment will have large effects on the intensity of Dora.

Hurricane Dora will move south of a subtropical high pressure system over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Dora toward the west-southwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Hurricane Dora could pass south of Hawaii early next week.

Typhoon Khanun Stalls West of Okinawa

Typhoon Khanun stalled over the Western North Pacific Ocean west of Okinawa on Thursday. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Typhoon Khanun was located at latitude 27.1°N and longitude 124.8°E which put it about 200 miles (325 km) west of Okinawa. Khanun was moving toward the northeast at 4 m.p.h. (6 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 75 m.p.h. (120 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 90 m.p.h. (145 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 970 mb.

Typhoon Khanun weakened while it stalled west of Okinawa. Khanun had almost completed an eyewall replacement cyclone on Thursday night. The former inner eyewalll consisted of a ring of low clouds and showers. The strongest winds were occurring in the southern part of the ring of showers. A very large, broken outer eyewall with a diameter of 150 miles (240 km) surrounded the center of Typhoon Khanun. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the outer eyewall. Storms around the outer eyewall generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the typhoon.

The circulation around Typhoon Khanun was large, even though Khanun was weaker. Winds to typhoon force extended out 50 miles (80 km) to the south of the center of Khanun. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 190 miles (305 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Khanun was 10.4. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 14.7 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 25.1. Typhoon Khanun was capable of causing regional minor damage.

Typhoon Khanun will move through an environment that will be favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Khanun will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28˚C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. However, Typhoon Khanun is unlikely to intensify during the next 24 hours, because of the almost completed eyewall replacement cycle. The eyewall replacement cycle disrupted the inner core of Khanun. Typhoon Khanun is unlikely to intensify until the larger outer eyewall begins to contract closer to the center of circulation. Khanun could actually weaken a little more on Friday.

Typhoon Khanun will move around the northwestern part of a subtropical high pressure system over the Western North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Khanun toward the east-northeast during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Typhoon Khanun will move back toward the Ryukyu Islands during the next 24 hours. Typhoon Khanun will to produce strong, gusty winds and locally heavy rain in Okinawa and the other northern Ryukyu Islands. Heavy rain will cause flash floods in some locations. The center of Khanun could be just north of Okinawa in 36 hours.

Dora Rapidly Intensifies to a Major Hurricane

Hurricane Dora rapidly intensified to a major hurricane over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean southwest of Baja California on Wednesday. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Hurricane Dora was located at latitude 15.2°N and longitude 116.9°W which put it about 700 miles (1130 km) southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. Dora was moving toward the west at 16 m.p.h. (26 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 956 mb.

Hurricane Dora continued to intensify rapidly on Wednesday and Dora reached major hurricane intensity on Wednesday evening. A small eye with a diameter of 12 miles (19 km) was at the center of Dora’s 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 revolving around the core of Hurricane Dora. Storms near the core generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane in all directions.

The circulation around Hurricane Dora was very small. Winds to hurricane force extended out 20 miles (30 km) from the center of Dora’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 45 miles (75 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) was 23.6. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was only 5.6 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 29.2. Most of Hurricane Dora’s circulation would fit inside the outer eyewall of Typhoon Khanun.

Hurricane Dora will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Dora will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28˚C. It through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. Hurricane Dora is likely to continue to intensify during the next 24 hours. Dora could continue to intensify rapidly during the next 12 hours. Since the circulation around Hurricane Dora is so small, any changes in the environment will have large effects on the intensity of Hurricane Dora.

Hurricane Dora will move south of a subtropical high pressure system over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Dora toward the west-southwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Hurricane Dora will move farther away from Mexico. Dora could be southeast of Hawaii by the early next week.

Large Typhoon Khanun Churns West of Okinawa

Large Typhoon Khanun churned over the Western North Pacific Ocean west of Okinawa on Wednesday night. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Typhoon Khanun was located at latitude 26.6°N and longitude 124.6°E which put it about 190 miles (310 km) west of Okinawa. Khanun was moving toward the west-northwest at 4 m.p.h. (6 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 105 m.p.h. (1650 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 125 m.p.h. (200 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 951 mb.

The inner end of a rainband wrapped around an existing eye and eyewall on Wednesday and concentric eyewalls formed in Typhoon Khanun. The inner eye had a diameter of 15 miles (25 km). The inner eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. The inner eyewall was surrounded by a large clear area called a moat. The moat was surrounded by a large outer eyewall that had a diameter of 115 miles (185 km). Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the concentric eyewalls. Storms in the concentric eyewalls generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the typhoon.

The size of the circulation around Typhoon Khanun increased when the concentric eyewalls formed. Winds to typhoon force extended out 115 miles (185 km) from the center of Khanun’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 235 miles (380 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Khanun was 17.8. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 37.0 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 54.8. Khanun is capable of causing extensive serious damage. Typhoon Khanun was large than Hurricane Ivan was when Ivan hit the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2004. Khanun was not quite as strong as Ivan was.

Typhoon Khanun will move through an environment that will be favorable for a strong typhoon during the next 24 hours. Khanun will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28˚C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. However, Typhoon Khanun is likely to weaken during the next 24 hours, because of the concentric eyewalls. The inner eyewall is likely to weaken and the low level convergence will occur into the large, outer eyewall. Since the strongest winds are in the inner eyewall, the wind speed will decrease when the inner eyewall weakens.

Typhoon Khanun will be in an area where the steering currents are weak during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Typhoon Khanun will meander west of Okinawa during the next 24 hours. Khanun is forecast to move back toward the east-northeast later this week. The center of Typhoon Khanun could pass north of Okinawa on Friday. Khanun is forecast move across the northern Ryukyu Islands in 48 hours. Typhoon Khanun will continue to produce strong, gusty winds and locally heavy rain in Okinawa and other Ryukyu Islands. Heavy rain will cause flash floods in some locations.

Dora Rapidly Intensifies to a Hurricane

Former Tropical Storm Dora rapidly intensified to a hurricane over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean southwest of Mexico on Tuesday evening. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Hurricane Dora was located at latitude 16.2°N and longitude 111.5°W which put it about 510 miles (825 km) west-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. Dora was moving toward the west at 16 m.p.h. (26 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 75 m.p.h. (120 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 90 m.p.h. (145 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 994 mb.

A microwave satellite image showed that the inner end of a rainband had wrapped around the center of Hurricane Dora on Tuesday evening. A very small eye was at the center of Dora on the microwave image. The eye was surrounded by a tight ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the small core of Hurricane Dora. Storms near the core generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane.

The circulation around Hurricane Dora was small. Winds to hurricane force extended out 15 miles (25 km) from the center of Dora’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 45 miles (75 km) from the center of circulation.

Hurricane Dora will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 36 hours. Dora will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29˚C. It will move under the center of an upper level ridge over the Eastern North Pacific. The upper level winds are weak near the center of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear. Hurricane Dora will intensify during the next 36 hours. Since the circulation around Dora is so small, any changes in the environment will have large effects on the rate of intensification. Dora could continue to intensify rapidly as long as it remains in a favorable environment. Hurricane Dora is could strengthen to a major hurricane by Thursday.

Hurricane Dora will move south of a subtropical high pressure system over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Dora toward the west-southwest during the next few days. On its anticipated track, Hurricane Dora will move farther away from Mexico. Dora could move over the Central Pacific Ocean by the end of the upcoming weekend.

Typhoon Khanun Brings Wind and Rain to Okinawa

Typhoon Khanun brought wind and rain to Okinawa on Tuesday. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Typhoon Khanun was located at latitude 25.7°N and longitude 127.1°E which put it about 50 miles (80 km) south-southwest of Okinawa. Khanun was moving toward the west-northwest at 7 m.p.h. (11 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 125 m.p.h. (200 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 155 m.p.h. (250 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 941 mb.

Typhoon Khanun brought strong, gusty winds and locally heavy rain to Okinawa on Tuesday. The eye and eyewall at the center of Khanun’s circulation passed just south of Okinawa. Bands in the northern part of Typhoon Khanun moved across Okinawa. A weather station at Kadena Air Force Base reported a sustained wind speed of 74 m.p.h. (119 km/h). The weather station reported a wind gust to 87 m.p.h. (141 km/h).

An eye with a diameter of 25 miles (40 km) was at the center of Typhoon Khanun. 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 Typhoon Khanun. Storms near the core generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the typhoon.

The circulation around Typhoon Khanun was large. Winds to typhoon force extended out 65 miles (105 km) from the center of Khanun’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 200 miles (320 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Khanun was 23.6. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 18.2 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 41.8. Khanun is capable of causing regional major damage. Typhoon Khanun was as strong as Hurricane Dennis was when Dennis hit Northwest Florida in 2005. Khanun was much larger than Dennis was.

Typhoon Khanun will move through an environment that will become less favorable for a strong typhoon during the next 24 hours. Khanun will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28˚C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. However, there is a region of drier air northwest of the Ryukyu Islands. Some of the drier air could get pulled into the western half of Typhoon Khanun. The drier air is likely to cause Typhoon Khanun to weaken during the next 24 hours. Khanun is likely to move slowly during the next few days. Strong winds near the surface will mix cooler water to the surface of the ocean. Typhoon Khanun will extract less energy from the ocean and it is likely to continue to weaken later this week.

Typhoon Khanun will move around the southwestern side of a subtropical high pressure system over the Western North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Khanun toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, the core of Typhoon Khanun move west of Okinawa during the next 24 hours. The steering currents are likely to weaken later this week and Typhoon Khanun could meander near the Ryukyu Islands for several days. Khanun will continue to bring strong, gusty winds and locally heavy rain to Okinawa and the other southern Ryukyu Islands. Heavy rain will cause flash floods in some locations. Typhoon Khanun will also cause a significant storms surge in the parts of islands where the winds blow water toward the coast.

Tropical Storm Dora Forms Southwest of Mexico

Tropical Storm Dora formed over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean southwest of Mexico on Tuesday morning. At 5:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Tropical Storm Dora was located at latitude 16.0°N and longitude 107.1°W which put it about 275 miles (445 km) southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. Dora was moving toward the west-northwest at 16 m.p.h. (26 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 1006 mb.

The circulation around Tropical Storm Dora was organizing quickly on Tuesday morning. The inner end of a rainband wrapped around the western and southern sides of Dora’s circulation. An eye appeared to be forming at the center of Tropical Storm Dora. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the developing inner core of Dora. Storms near the core generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the tropical storm. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 45 miles (75 km) from the center of Dora.

Tropical Storm Dora will move through an environment very favorable for intensification during the next 36 hours. Dora will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29˚C. It will move under the center of an upper level ridge over the Eastern North Pacific. The upper level winds are weak near the center of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear. Tropical Storm Dora will intensify during the next 36 hours. Dora could intensify rapidly at times, especially after the inner core with an eye and eyewall fully form. Tropical Storm Dora is likely to strengthen to a hurricane by Wednesday.

Tropical Storm Dora will move south of a subtropical high pressure system over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Dora toward the west during the next few days. On its anticipated track, Tropical Storm Dora will move farther away from Mexico.