Typhoon Bang-lang was spinning over the Western North Pacific Ocean north of Wake Island on Saturday morning.  At 5:00 a.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Typhoon Bang-lang was located at latitude 24.8°N and longitude 168.4°E which put the center about 335 miles (535 km) north-northeast of Wake Island.  Bang-lang was moving toward the north-northeast 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 971 mb.

Typhoon Bang-lang intensified during Friday night.  Thunderstorms were occurring in bands in the eastern and northern parts of Bang-lang’s circulation.  Bands in the southwestern part of Typhoon Bang-lang consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds.  Storms near the center of Bang-land generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away to the northeast of the typhoon.  The removal of mass caused the surface pressure to decrease.

The strongest winds were occurring in the eastern part of Typhoon Bang-lang.  Winds to typhoon force extended out 20 miles (30 km) in the eastern half of Bang-lang’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 80 miles (130 km) from the center of Typhoon Bang-lang.

Typhoon Bang-lang will move through an environment that will become unfavorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Bang-lang will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 27°C.  It will move under the eastern side of an upper level trough that is east of Japan.  The upper level trough will produce southerly winds that will blow toward the top of Bang-lang’s circulation.  Those winds will cause the vertical wind shear to increase.  Typhoon Bang-lang will start to weaken when the vertical wind shear increases.  Bang-lang will move over colder water on Sunday.  It will start to weaken more quickly when it moves over the colder water.  Typhoon Bang-lang will also start to make a transition to an extratropical cyclone during the weekend because of the effects of the vertical wind shear and the colder water.

The upper level trough east of Japan will steer Typhoon Bang-lang toward the north during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, Typhoon Bang-lang will move farther away from Wake Island.

Elsewhere over the Western North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Etau was north of Typhoon Bang-lang.  At 5:00 a.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Ttopical Storm Etau was located at latitude 28.7°N and longitude 165.6°E which put the center about 615 miles (995 km) north of Wake Island.  Etau was moving toward the north at 21 m.p.h. (33 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 991 mb.