Tag Archives: China

Tropical Storm Saudel Brings Wind and Rain to Eastern China

Tropical Storm Saudel brought wind and rain to eastern China on Thursday night.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Tropical Storm Saudel was located at latitude 28.0°N and longitude 120.3°E which put the center about 25 miles (40 km) west of Wenzhou, China.  Saudel was moving toward the west at 16 m.p.h. (26 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 982 mb.

The center of Typhoon Saudel made landfall on the east coast of China east of Wenzhou on Thursday evening.  Saudel weakened to a tropical storm after it made landfall on the coast.

The circulation around Tropical Storm Saudel was still well organized.  Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the center of Saudel’s circulation.

Winds to tropical storm force extended out 155 miles (250 km) from the center of Tropical Storm Saudel.

Tropical Storm Saudel will move around the southern side of a high pressure system that is over the Western North Pacific Ocean and eastern China.  The high pressure system will steer Saudel toward the west during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, Tropical Storm Saudel will move inland over Zhejiang.

Tropical Storm Saudel will bring strong winds and heavy rain to Zhejang while it moves farther inland.  Heavy rain is likely to cause floods in some locations.

Tropical Storm Saudel will also bring gusty winds locally heavy rain to southern parts of Anhui and northern sections of Jiangxi.

Elsewhere over the Western North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Etau formed north of Wake Island.

At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Tropical Storm Etau was located at latitude 24.5°N and longitude 167.3°E which put the center about 335 miles (540 km) north of Wake Island.   Etau was moving toward the north-northwest at 13 m.p.h. (21 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 994 mb.

 

Typhoon Saudel Moves Toward China

Typhoon Saudel moved toward the east coast of China on Wednesday.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Typhoon Saudel was located at latitude 28.6°N and longitude 125.0°E which put the center about 230 miles (370 km) east of Taizhou, China.  Saudel was moving toward the west at 6 m.p.h. (10 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 965 mb.

Typhoon Saudel weakened gradually on Wednesday as it moved toward the east coast of China.  Even though Saudel weakened, a circular eye with a diameter of 30 miles (50 km) formed at the center of the typhoon.  The eye was surrounded by a broken ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms.  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 slightly less than the convergence of mass in the lower levels of the atmosphere.  So, the surface pressure increased a little on Wednesday.

Although Typhoon Saudel weakened on Wednesday, the circulation around Typhoon Saudel was still large.  Winds to typhoon force extended out 60 miles (95 km) from the center of Saudel’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 205 miles (335 km) from the center of Typhoon Saudel.

The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Saudel is 12.7.  The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) is 17.9 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) is 30.6. Typhoon Saudel is similar in intensity to Hurricane Dolly when Dolly hit South Texas in 2008.  Typhoon Saudel is much larger than Dolly was.

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 28°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 through 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 during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, Typhoon Saudel will approach the east coast of China in 24 hours.

Typhoon Saudel will bring strong winds and heavy rain to Zhejiang.  Heavy rain is likely to cause floods in some locations.  Saudel could also cause a storm surge of up 8 feet (2.5 meters) along the coast of Zhejiang.

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.

Tropical Storm Chan-hom Moves Toward Japan

Tropical Storm Chan-hom was moving toward Japan on Monday morning.  At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Monday the center of Tropical Storm Chan-hom was located at latitude 35.7°N and longitude 147.1°E which put the center about 460 miles (745 km) east of Tokyo, Japan.  Chan-hom was moving toward the northwest at 12 m.p.h. (19 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 981 mb.

The surface center of Tropical Storm Chan-hom is under the eastern part of an upper level low.  The upper level low is producing southeasterly winds that are blowing toward the top of Chan-hom’s circulation.  Those winds are causing moderate vertical wind shear.  The circulation around Tropical Storm Chan-hom is also puling drier air into the southern and eastern parts of Chan-hom’s circulation.

The combination of the moderate vertical wind shear and the drier air is causing the distribution of thunderstorms in Tropical Storm Chan-hom to be asymmetrical.  Thunderstorms are occurring in bands in the western half of Chan-hom’s circulation.  Bands in the eastern part of Tropical Storm Chan-hom consist primarily of showers and lower clouds.  Storm near the enter of Chan-hom generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the tropical storm.  The removal of mass caused the surface pressure to decrease.

The distribution of wind speeds in Tropical Storm Chan-hom was also asymmetrical.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 145 miles (235 km) in the northern half of Chan-hom’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force only extended out 70 miles (110 km) in the southern half of Tropical Storm Chan-hom.

Tropical Storm Chan-hom will move through an environment that will be somewhat favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Chan-hom will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 26°C.  However, the upper level low just to the west of the low level center of Chan-hom’s circulation will continue to cause moderate vertical wind shear.  Tropical Storm Chan-hom could intensify a little in spite of the moderate vertical wind shear.

The upper level low just to the west of the surface center of Tropical Storm Chan-hom will steer Chan-hom toward the west during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, the center of Tropical Storm Chan-hom will reach the coast of Honshu northeast of Tokyo in about 24 hours.

Tropical Storm Chan-hom will bring strong winds and locally heavy rain to parts of central Honshu.  Heavy rain is likely to cause floods in some locations.

Elsewhere, Tropical Storm Dolphin continued to drop heavy rain over parts of eastern China and former Tropical Storm Peilou weakened to a tropical depression.

At 8:00 a.m. EDT on Monday the center of Tropical Storm Dolphin was located at latitude 29.0°N and longitude 117.9°E which put the center about 60 miles (95 km) southeast of Jingdezhen, China.  Dolphin was moving toward the north-northwest at 10 m.p.h. (16 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 990 mb.

At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Monday the center of Tropical Depression Peilou was located at latitude 22.1°N and longitude 153.6°E which put the center about 195 miles (315 km) south-southwest of Minami Tori Shima.  Peilou was moving toward the northeast at 20 m.p.h. (32 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 993 mb.

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 Noul Hits Near Hong Kong

The center of Typhoon Noul hit the coast of China just to the northeast of Hong Kong on Saturday.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Typhoon Noul was located at latitude 22.7°N and longitude 114.8°E which put the center about 60 miles (95 km) east of Hong Kong.  Noul was moving toward the northwest at 14 m.p.h. (22 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 967 mb.

Typhoon Noul continued to intensify until it made landfall on the coast of China just to the northeast of Hong Kong.  Typhoon Noul was the equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale at the time it made landfall.

A circular eye with a diameter of 20 miles (32 km) was at the center of Typhoon Noul when Noul made landfall.  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 Noul’s circulation.

The distribution of wind speeds around Typhoon Noul was fairly symmetrical.  Winds to typhoon force extended out 40 miles (65 km) from the center of Noul’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 140 miles (220 km) from the center of Typhoon Noul.

The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Noul was 16.5.  The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 14.6 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 31.1.  Typhoon Noul was capable of causing regional serious damage.

Typhoon Noul will bring strong winds and locally heavy rain to eastern Guangdong, southern Fujian, and Jiangxi.  Heavy rain is likely to cause floods in some locations.  Typhoon Noul could cause a storm surge of up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) along parts of the coast of southeastern China.

Typhoon Noul will move around the western end of a high pressure system that is over the Western North Pacific Ocean.  The high pressure system will steer Noul toward the north-northwest during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, the center of Typhoon Noul will move inland over eastern Guangdong and Jiangxi.

Noul Intensifies to a Typhoon

Former Tropical Storm Noul intensified to a typhoon over the Western North Pacific Ocean east-southeast of Hong Kong on Friday.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of Typhoon Noul was located at latitude 21.1°N and longitude 117.8°E which put the center about 285 miles (455 km) east-southeast of Hong Kong.  Noul was moving toward the northwest at 14 m.p.h. (22 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 980 mb.

Former Tropical Storm Noul intensified to a typhoon on Friday.  The inner end of a rainband wrapped around the center of Noul’s circulation.  A small circular eye formed at the center of Typhoon Noul.  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 Noul.  Storms near the core of Noul generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the typhoon.  The removal of mass caused the surface pressure to decrease.

The distribution of wind speed around Typhoon Noul was fairly symmetrical.  Winds to typhoon force extended out 35 miles (55 km) from the center of Noul’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 125 miles (200 km) from the center of Typhoon Noul.

Typhoon Noul will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 12 hours.  Noul 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 centered over eastern China.  The upper level winds are weak near the middle of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear. Typhoon Noul will intensify during the next 12 hours.

Typhoon Noul 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 Noul toward the northwest during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, the center of Typhoon Noul will make landfall on the coast of southeastern China northeast of Hong Kong in 15 hours.

Typhoon Noul will bring strong winds and locally heavy rain to eastern Guangdong, southern Fujian, and Jiangxi.  Heavy rain is likely to cause flash floods in some locations.  Typhoon Noul could cause a storm surge of up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) along parts of the coast of southeastern China.