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.