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Typhoon Man-yi Intensifies to Equivalent of Cat. 5 Hurricane

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Typhoon Man-yi intensified to the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale on Saturday.  At 10:00 a.m. EST on Saturday the center of Typhoon Man-yi was located at latitude 14.2°N and longitude 124.0°E which put the center about 80 miles (130 km) east of Labo, Philippines.  Man-yi was moving toward the northwest at 15 m.p.h. (24 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 160 m.p.h. (260 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 195 m.p.h. (315 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 921 mb.

Typhoon Man-yi intensified to the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane as it approached southeastern Luzon on Saturday.  The southwestern part of Man-yi’s eyewall passed over Catanduanes Island.

Typhoon Man-yi was very impressive on satellite images.  A circular eye with a diameter of 20 miles (32 km) was at the center of Man-yi’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 center of Man-yi’s circulation.  Storms near the center of Man-yi generated strong upper level divergence that pumped large amounts of mass away from the typhoon in all directions. The removal of large quantities of mass caused the surface pressure to decrease rapidly.

The size of the circulation around Typhoon Man-yi increased when Man-yi intensified.  Winds to typhoon force extended out 45 miles (75 km) from the center of Man-yi’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 150 miles (240 km) from the center of Typhoon Man-yi.

The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Man-yi was 35.0.  The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 17.6 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 52.6.  Typhoon Man-yi was similar in intensity to Hurricane Michael when Michael hit Northwest Florida in 2018.  Man-yi was bigger than Michael was.

Typhoon Man-yi will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next few hours.  Man-yi will move over water where where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C.  It will move under the middle of an upper level ridge 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 Man-yi could continue to intensify during the next few hours.  However, the fact that the southwestern part of Man-yi’s eyewall passed over Catanduanes Island could halt its intensification.

Typhoon Man-yi will move around the southern side of a high pressure system over the Western North Pacific Ocean.  The high pressure system will steer Man-yi toward the northwest during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, Typhoon Man-yi will reach southeastern Luzon in 12 hours.  The center of Man-yi’s circulation could make landfall northeast of Baler.

Typhoon Man-yi is already bringing destructive winds to Catanduanes Island.  Typhoon Man-yi will also bring very strong winds and heavy rain to Luzon.  Heavy rain will cause flash floods and mudslides.  Man-yi could also cause a storm surge of up to 13 feet (4 meters) along the coast of Luzon. Luzon has already been hit by a series of in recent weeks.  Typhoon Man-yi is capable of causing regional catastrophic damage.  Man-yi will seriously set back efforts to recover from the previous typhoons.

Elsewhere over the Western North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Depression Usagi was still dropping heavy rain on parts of Taiwan. At 4:00 a.m. EST on Saturday the center of Tropical Depression Usagi was located at latitude 22.3°N and longitude 120.7°E which put the center about 35 miles (55 km) south of Kaohsiung, Taiwan.  Usagi was moving toward the southeast at 4 m.p.h. (6 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 30 m.p.h. (50 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1006 mb.  Continued heavy rain is likely to cause flash floods in Taiwan.

Typhoon Man-Yi Strengthens to Equivalent of a Major Hurricane

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Typhoon Man-yi strengthened to the equivalent of a major hurricane as it moved toward the Philippines on Friday.  At 4:00 p.m. EST on Friday the center of Typhoon Man-yi was located at latitude 12.3°N and longitude 127.2°E which put the center about 490 miles (790 km) east-southeast of Manila, Philippines.  Man-yi was moving toward the west-northwest at 15 m.p.h. (24 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 952 mb.

Typhoon Man-yi intensified to the equivalent of a major hurricane on Friday.  A circular eye with a diameter of 25 miles (40 km) was at the center of Man-yi’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 center of Man-yi’s circulation.  Storms near the center of Man-yi generated strong upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the typhoon in all directions.  The removal of large quantities of mass caused the surface pressure to decrease rapidly.

The circulation around Typhoon Man-yi was very symmetrical.  Winds to typhoon force extended out 30 miles (50 km) from the center of Man-yi’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 125 miles (200 km) from the center of Typhoon Man-yi.

The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Man-yi was 23.6.  The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 10.3 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 33.9.  Typhoon Man-yi was similar in size and intensity to Hurricane Dennis when Dennis hit Northwest Florida in 2005.

Typhoon Man-yi will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Man-yi will move over water where where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C.  It will move under the middle of an upper level ridge 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 Man-yi is likely to continue to intensify during the next 24 hours.

Typhoon Man-yi will move around the southern side of a high pressure system over the Western North Pacific Ocean.  The high pressure system will steer Man-yi toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, Typhoon Man-yi will reach southeastern Luzon in less than 18 hours.

Typhoon Man-yi will bring very strong winds and heavy rain to Luzon.  Heavy rain will cause flash floods and mudslides.  Man-yi could also cause a storm surge of up to 13 feet (4 meters) along the coast of Luzon.  Luzon has already been hit by a series of in recent weeks.  Typhoon Man-yi is capable of causing regional major damage.  Man-yi will seriously set back efforts to recover from the previous typhoons.

Elsewhere over the Western North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Usagi was bringing wind and rain to Taiwan.  At 4:00 p.m. EST on Friday the center of Tropical Storm Usagi was located at latitude 22.5°N and longitude 120.3°E which put the center about 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Kaohsiung, Taiwan.  Usagi was moving toward the north-northeast at 10 m.p.h. (16 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.  Heavy rain is likely to cause flash floods in Taiwan.

Man-yi Strengthens to a Typhoon East of the Philippines

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Former Tropical Storm Man-yi strengthened to a typhoon east of the Philippines on Thursday.  At 10:00 p.m. EST on Thursday the center of Typhoon Man-yi was located at latitude 10.7°N and longitude 131.3°E which put the center about 795 miles (1280 km) east-southeast of Manila, Philippines.  Man-yi was moving toward the west at 18 m.p.h. (30 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 976 mb.

Former Tropical Storm Man-yi strengthened to a typhoon over the Western North Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines on Thursday.  The inner end of a rainband wrapped around the center of Man-yi’s circulation.  A circular eye with a diameter of 23 miles (37 km) formed at the center of Typhoon Man-yi.  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 center of Man-yi’s circulation.  Storms near the center of Man-yi generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the typhoon.  The removal of mass caused the surface pressure to decrease.

Typhoon Man-yi will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Man-yi will move over water where where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C.   It will move under the middle of an upper level ridge 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 Man-yi will intensify during the next 24 hours.  Man-yi could intensify rapidly.  Typhoon Man-yi is likely to strengthen to the equivalent of a major hurricane.

Typhoon Man-yi will move around the southern side of a high pressure system over the Western North Pacific Ocean.  The high pressure system will steer Man-yi toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, Typhoon Man-yi will move toward Luzon.  Man-yi could approach Luzon in 36 hours.

Elsewhere over the Western North Pacific Ocean, Typhoon Usagi moved toward Taiwan.  At 10:00 p.m. EST on Thursday the center of Typhoon Usagi was located at latitude 20.2°N and longitude 120.2°E which put the center about 145 miles (235 km) south of Kaohsiung, Taiwan.  Usagi was moving toward the north-northwest at 9 m.p.h. (15 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 977 mb.

Typhoon Krathon Brings Wind and Rain to Taiwan

Typhoon Krathon brought strong winds and heavy rain to Taiwan on Wednesday night.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Typhoon Krathon was located at latitude 22.6°N and longitude 120.1°E which put the center about 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Kaohsiung, Taiwan.  Krathon was moving toward the northeast at 3 m.p.h. (5 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 85 m.p.h. (135 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 100 m.p.h. (160 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 965 mb.

Typhoon Krathon was causing strong winds and dropping heavy rain over Taiwan on Wednesday night.  The center of Krathon was just off the coast of southwest Taiwan near Kaohsiung.  Typhoon Krathon was moving very slowly toward Taiwan.  The slow forward motion of Krathon’s circulation meant it was causing prolonged periods of strong winds and heavy rain.

Typhoon Krathon was weakening gradually as it slowly approached Taiwan, but Krathon was still a powerful typhoon.  Winds to typhoon force extended out 40 miles (65 km) from the center of Krathon’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 155 miles (250 km) from the center of Typhoon Krathon.

The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Krathon was 12.7.  The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 12.1 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 24.8.  Typhoon Krathon was similar in size and intensity to Hurricane Dolly when Dolly hit south Texas in 2008.

An upper level trough over China will steer Typhoon Krathon slowly to the northwest during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, the center of Typhoon Krathon will move inland over southwestern Taiwan.  Krathon will continue to produce strong winds and heavy rain during the next 24 hours.  Very heavy rainfall will cause widespread flash floods.

Typhoon Krathon Stalls Southwest of Taiwan

Typhoon Krathon stalled just to the southwest of Taiwan on Tuesday evening.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Typhoon Krathon was located at latitude 21.7°N and longitude 119.4°E which put the center about 100 miles (160 km) southwest of Kaohsiung, Taiwan.  Krathon was moving toward the east at 2 m.p.h. (3 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 115 m.p.h. (185 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 145 m.p.h. (235 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 956 mb.

Typhoon Krathon stalled just southwest of Taiwan on Tuesday.  As Krathon’s circulation remained nearly stationary, strong winds mixed cooler water to the surface of the ocean.  The cooler water reduced the energy available to be transferred to the atmosphere and Typhoon Krathon gradually weakened.

Even though Typhoon Krathon weakened on Tuesday, Krathon was still the equivalent of a major hurricane.  A circular eye with a diameter of 25 miles (40 km) was at the center of Typhoon Krathon.  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 revolved around the core of Krathon’s circulation.  Storms near the core of Krathon generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the typhoon.

The circulation around Typhoon Krathon was very symmetrical.  Winds to typhoon force extended out 60 miles (95 km) from the center of Krathon’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 160 miles (260 km) from the center of Typhoon Krathon.

The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Krathon was 20.6.  The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 18.6 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 39.2.  Typhoon Krathon was similar in intensity to Hurricane Rita when Rita hit Louisiana in 2005.  Krathon was not quite as big as Rita was.

Typhoon Krathon will move through an environment mostly favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Krathon will be over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 27°C.  It will be under the axis of an upper level ridge over eastern China.  The upper level winds are weak near the axis of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear.  However, as long as the core of Typhoon Krathon remains over the cooler water it is mixing to the surface of the ocean, Krathon will continue to gradually weaken.

Typhoon Krathon will be in an area where the steering currents are weak during the next few hours.  An upper level trough over southern China will start to steer Krathon toward the slowly northeast on Wednesday.  The center of Krathon could make landfall on the coast of Taiwan northwest Kaohsiung in 24 hours.

Bands in the northeastern part of Typhoon Krathon are already dropping heavy rain on parts Taiwan.  Krathon will bring strong winds and heavier rain to the southwestern part of Taiwan when it moves closer to the coast.  Heavy rain will cause flash floods.  Typhoon Krathon could also cause a storm surge of up to 10 feet (3 meters) on the coast of southwestern Taiwan.

Elsewhere over the Western North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Jebi sped rapidly northeast of Japan.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Tropical Storm Jebi was located at latitude 43.1°N and longitude 150.5°E which put the center about 300 miles (485 km) east of Kushiro, Japan.  Jebi was moving toward the northeast at 41 m.p.h. (67 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 70 m.p.h. (110 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 85 m.p.h. (135 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 976 mb.

Typhoon Krathon Intensifies to Equivalent of Cat. 4 Hurricane

Typhoon Krathon intensified to the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale on Monday as it passed just south of Taiwan.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Monday the center of Typhoon Krathon was located at latitude 20.7°N and longitude 119.9°E which put the center about 135 miles (220 km) south-southwest of Kaohsiung, Taiwan.  Krathon was moving toward the west at 5 m.p.h. (8 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 150 m.p.h. (240 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 185 m.p.h. (295 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 927 mb.

Typhoon Krathon continued to intensify Monday.  It is now the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.  A circular eye with a diameter of 30 miles (50 km) is present at the center of Krathon’s circulation.  The eye is surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds are occurring in that ring of storms.  Numerous bands of showers and thunderstorms are revolving around the core of Typhoon Krathon.  Storms near the core generated strong upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the typhoon.

The circulation around Typhoon Krathon is symmetrical.  Winds to typhoon force extend out 80 miles (130 km) from the center of Krathon’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extend out 200 miles (320 km) from the center of Typhoon Krathon.

The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Krathon is 31.6.  The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) is 24.1 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) is 55.7.  Typhoon Krathon is similar in intensity to Hurricane Laura when Jeanne hit Louisiana in 2020.  Krathon is bigger than Laura was.

Typhoon Krathon will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Krathon will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 30°C.  It will move under the axis of an upper level ridge south of Japan.  The upper level winds are weak near the axis of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear.  Even though Typhoon Krathon will be in an environment favorable for intensification, Krathon may not intensify.  Images from the Taiwan Central Weather Agency’s radar indicate that concentric eyewalls may be forming at the center of Krathon’s circulation.  If concentric eyewalls do form, then an eyewall replacement cycle would cause Typhoon Krathon to weaken during the next 24 hours.

Typhoon Krathon will move around the southwestern part of a high pressure system south of Japan.  The high pressure system will steer Krathon slowly toward the northwest during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, Typhoon Krathon will move southwest of Taiwan.  An upper level trough over southern China will start to steer Krathon toward the northeast on Wednesday.  The center of Krathon could make landfall on Taiwan near Kaohsiung.

Typhoon Krathon will be a large, powerful storm when it hits Taiwan.  Krathon will bring strong winds and heavy rain to Taiwan.  Heavy rain will cause flash floods in some locations.  Typhoon Krathon could also cause a storm surge of up to 13 feet (4 meters) on the coast of southwestern Taiwan.

Elsewhere over the Western North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Jebi strengthened south of Japan.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Monday the center of Tropical Storm Jebi was located at latitude 31.7°N and longitude 141.3°E which put the center about 320 miles (520 km) south-southeast of Tokyo, Japan.  Jebi was moving toward the north at 17 m.p.h. (28 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 986 mb.

Typhoon Krathon Rapidly Intensifies to Equivalent of a Major Hurricane

Typhoon Krathon rapidly intensified to the equivalent of a major hurricane on Sunday.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Typhoon Krathon was located at latitude 20.1°N and longitude 122.0°E which put the center about 200 miles (320 km) southeast of Kaohsiung, Taiwan.  Krathon was moving toward the west-northwest at 11 m.p.h. (17 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 120 m.p.h. (195 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 150 m.p.h. (240 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 950 mb.

Typhoon Krathon rapidly intensified to the equivalent of a major hurricane over the Western North Pacific Ocean south of Taiwan on Sunday.  A large circular eye with a diameter of 50 miles (80 km) was at the center of Krathon’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 Typhoon Krathon.  Storms near the core of Krathon’s circulation generated upper level divergence that pumped large quatities of mass mass away from the typhoon.  The removal of large amounts of mass caused the surface pressure to decrease rapidly.

The size of the circulation around Typhoon Krathon increased as it intensified.  Winds to typhoon force extended out 60 miles (95 km) from the center of Krathon’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 265 miles (425 km) from the center of Typhoon Krathon.

The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Krathon was 22.1.  The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 23.1 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 45.2.  Typhoon Krathon was similar in size and intensity to Hurricane Jeanne when Jeanne hit southeast Florida in 2004.

Typhoon Krathon will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Krathon will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 30°C.  It will move under the axis of an upper level ridge south of Japan. The upper level winds are weak near the axis of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear, Typhoon Krathon will intensify during the next 24 hours.  Krathon could continue to intensify rapidly during the next few hours.  Typhoon Krathon is likely strengthen to a the equivalent of a major hurricane.

Typhoon Krathon will move around the southwestern part of a high pressure system south of Japan.  The high pressure system will steer Krathon toward the northwest during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, Typhoon Krathon will move closer to Taiwan.  The center Krathon’s circulation will approach the southern end of Taiwan in 36 hours. Typhoon Krathon is will be the equivalent of a major hurricane when it approaches Taiwan.  Bands in the northern side of Krathon’s circulation will begin to bring wind and rain to Taiwan on Monday.

Elsewhere over the Western North Pacific Ocean, the center of Tropical Storm Jebi passed just to the west of Iwo To.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Tropical Storm Jebi was located at latitude 25.8°N and longitude 140.7°E which put the center about 50 miles (80 km) west-northwest of Iwo To.  Jebi was moving toward the north at 6 m.p.h. (10 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 993 mb.

Typhoon Haikui Moves over the Taiwan Strait

Typhoon Haikui moved over the Taiwan Strait on Sunday night. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Typhoon Haikui was located at latitude 23.3°N and longitude 119.6°E which put it about 70 miles (110 km) northwest of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Haikui was moving toward the west-northwest 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 966 mb.

Typhoon Haikui brought strong winds and heavy rain to Taiwan on Sunday. A weather station at the airport in Taipei (RCTP) reported a sustained wind speed of 35 m.p.h. (55km/h) and a wind gust of 49 m.p.h. (79 km/h). A weather station in Taitung (RCFN) reported a sustained wind speed of 56 m.p.h. (91 km/h) and a wind gust of 87 m.p.h. (140 km/h). A weather station in Kaohsiung (RCKH) reported a sustained wind speed of 39 m.p.h. (63 km/h) and a wind gust of 62 m.p.h. (100 km/h). Bands in the eastern part of Typhoon Haikui were still dropping heavy rain over parts of Taiwan on Sunday night.

The lower levels of the circulation of Typhoon Haikui were disrupted when Haikui moved over the mountains on Taiwan. There was no longer an eye at the center of Haikui’s circulation. The circulation in the middle and upper level of Typhoon Haikui remained relatively intact. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the center of Haikui’s circulation. Winds to typhoon force extended out 30 miles (50 km/h) from the center of circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 165 miles (265 km) from the center of Typhoon Haikui.

Typhoon Haikui will move around the southern side of a high pressure system over the Western North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Haikui toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, the center of Typhoon Haikui will approach the east coast of China between Shantou and Xiamen within 24 hours.

Typhoon Haikui will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Haikui will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 30°C. It will move under an upper level ridge centered northwest of Taiwan. The upper level winds are weak in the ridge and the will be little vertical wind shear. Typhoon Haikui may not intensify during the next 24 hours even though it will move through a favorable environment. The lower levels of Haikui’s circulation will gradually reorganize now that the center of circulation is back over water. However, there may not be enough time for an eye to develop again before Haikui reaches the east coast of China. If the inner core of Typhoon Haikui does not develop again, then it will be unlikely to strengthen.

Typhoon Haikui Hits Taiwan

Typhoon Haikui hit Taiwan on Sunday morning. At 5:00 a.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Typhoon Haikui was located at latitude 22.9°N and longitude 121.1°E which put it about 20 miles (30 km) northeast of Taitung, Taiwan. Haikui was moving toward the west at 12 m.p.h. (19 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 120 m.p.h. (195 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 150 m.p.h. (240 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 947 mb.

The center of Typhoon Haikui made landfall on the southeast coast of Taiwan just to the northeast of Taitung on Sunday morning. Haikui intensified to the equivalent of a major hurricane as it approached the coast of Taiwan. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Haikui was 22.1. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 13.0 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 35.1. Typhoon Haikui was similar in size and intensity to Hurricane Dennis when Dennis hit Northwest Florida in 2005.

Typhoon Haikui brought strong, gusty winds and heavy rain to Taiwan. Winds to typhoon force extended out 40 miles (65 km) from the center of Haikui’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 115 miles (185 km) from the center of circulation.

The center of Typhoon Haikui will move across southern Taiwan during the next few hours. Haikui’will produce strong, gusty winds in much of Taiwan. Typhoon Haikui is capable of causing regional major damage. Widespread outages of electricity are likely. Heavy rains will cause flash floods, especially near mountains.

The center of Typhoon Haikui will be near Kaohsiung in a few hours. Haikui will weaken as it moves across southern Taiwan. Mountains in Taiwan could will disrupt the circulation in the lower levels of Typhoon Haikui. The circulation in the middle and upper troposphere will remain move relatively intact. Haikui will move over the South China Sea later on Sunday. Typhoon Haikui could approach the coast of China near Shantou in less than 36 hours.

Powerful Typhoon Saola Moves Between Taiwan and Luzon

Powerful Typhoon Saola moved between Taiwan and Luzon on Tuesday night. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Typhoon Saola was located at latitude 20.3°N and longitude 120.7°E which put it about 160 miles (260 km) south-southeast of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Saola was moving toward the west-northwest at 9 m.p.h. (15 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 155 m.p.h. (250 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 190 m.p.h. (305 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 922 mb.

Typhoon Saola intensified to the threshold of the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale in Tuesday. A circular eye with a diameter of 15 miles (24 km) was at the center of Saola’ 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 Saola’s circulation. Storms near the core generated strong upper level divergence that pumped large quantities of mass away from the typhoon.

The size of the circulation around Typhoon Saola increased when Saola intensified on Tuesday. Winds to typhoon force extended out 45 miles (75 km) from the center of Saola’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 115 miles (185 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Saola was 33.3. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 16.2 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 49.5. Typhoon Saola was similar in size and intensity to Hurricane Ian when Ian hit southwest Florida in 2022.

Typhoon Saola will move through an environment favorable for a powerful typhoon during the next 24 hours. Saola will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C. It will move through a region where the upper level ridge winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. Typhoon Saola could maintain much of its intensity during the next 24 hours unless concentric eyewalls for again. If concentric eyewalls form again, then an eyewall replacement cycle would cause Saola to weaken.

Typhoon Saola will move around the southern side of a high pressure system over China. The high pressure system will steer Saola toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Typhoon Saola will move over the South China Sea. Saola could be near Hong Kong later this week.

Elsewhere over the Western North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Haikui was southwest of Iwo To. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Tropical Storm Haikui was located at latitude 20.2°N and longitude 135.7°E which put it about 457 miles (755 km) southwest of Iwo To. Haikui was moving toward the northwest at 6 m.p.h. (10 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 75 m.p.h. (120 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 990 mb.