Powerful Typhoon Rai hit the southern Philippines on Thursday morning. At 4:00 a.m. EST on Thursday the center of Typhoon Rai was located at latitude 10.0°N and longitude 125.3°E which put it about 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Maasin, Philippines. Rai was moving toward the west at 17 m.p.h. (28 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.

The center of powerful Typhoon Rai made landfall on Siargao Island on Thursday morning. The core of Rai’s circulation moved over Dinagat Island and northern Mindanao. The center of Typhoon Rai was over the Bohol Sea just to the south of Leyte. The inner end of a rainband wrapped around the original eye and eyewall of Typhoon Rai as it hit the southern Philippines. Microwave satellite images indicated that concentric eyewalls formed, which increased the size of the core of Rai. Winds to typhoon force extended out 60 miles (95 km) from the center of Typhoon Rai. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 185 miles (295 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Rai was 31.6. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 18.9 and the Hurricane Wind intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 50.5. Rai was capable of causing regional severe damage.

Typhoon Rai will weaken when the center is over land, but it will move through an environment capable of supporting a strong typhoon as it moves over the southern Philippines. Rai will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 30˚C. It will move under the southern side of an upper level ridge over the Western North Pacific Ocean. The ridge will produce easterly winds that will blow toward the top of Typhoon Rai’s circulation. Those winds will cause some vertical wind shear but the wind shear will be too small to cause much weakening. Typhoon Rai weaken gradually when the center passes over land.

Typhoon Rai will move south of a surface high pressure system over the Western North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Rai toward the west-northwest during the next 36 hours. On its anticipated track the core of Typhoon Rai will pass over southern Leyte, northern Bohol, Cebu, northern Negros, southern Panay Island, northern Palawan, Linapacan Island, Culion Island and Busuanga Island. Typhoon Rai will weaken when the center passes over land, but it will be the equivalent of a major hurricane as it moves across the southern Philippines. Typhoon Rai will bring very strong winds and locally heavy rain to northern Mindanao, Leyte, Samar, Cebu, Negros, Bohol, Panay Island, Palawan, Linacapan Island, Culion Island and Busuanga Island. Heavy rain could cause flash floods in some locations. Rai will cause a significant storm surge along coasts where the wind blows the water toward the shore. Typhoon Rai could cause severe damage in locations that experience the inner core of the circulation.