Tag Archives: JIngdezhen

Tropical Storm Khanun Spins East of the Philippines

Tropical Khanun was spinning east of the Philippines on Friday. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of Tropical Storm Khanun was located at latitude 16.0°N and longitude 134.4°E which put it about 870 miles (1405 km) south-southeast of Okinawa. Khanun was moving toward the northwest at 13 m.p.h. (20 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 996 mb.

Tropical Storm Khanun gradually became more organized as it spun east of the Philippines on Friday. The distribution of thunderstorms in Khanun’s circulation was asymmetrical. Many of the thunderstorms were occurring in bands in the southern half of Tropical Storm Khanun. The strongest winds were occurring in those rainbands. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 200 miles (320 km) in the southern side of Khanun. Bands in the northern half of Khanun consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds. The winds in the northern side of Tropical Storm Khanun were blowing at less than tropical storm force. Storms near the center of Khanun’s circulation generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away to the south of 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 30˚C. It will move under the eastern side of an upper level ridge over eastern China. The ridge will produce northerly winds that will blow toward the top of Khanun’s circulation. Those winds will cause moderate vertical wind shear. The wind shear will inhibit intensification. Tropical Storm Khanun is likely to intensify gradually during the next 24 hours.

Tropical Storm 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 northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Tropical Storm Khanun will move toward the Ryukyu Islands. Khanun could approach Okinawa in less than 72 hours.

Elsewhere, Tropical Storm Doksuri weakened as it moved farther inland over eastern China. Doksuri was still dropping heavy rain over parts of eastern China. At 2:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Tropical Storm Doksuri was located at latitude 28.9°N and longitude 117.0°E which put it about 25 miles (40 km) south of Jingdezhen, China. Doksuri was moving toward the north-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 996 mb.