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.