Tropical Storm Mawar brought wind and rain to Okinawa on Thursday. At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Tropical Storm Mawar was located at latitude 26.1°N and longitude 127.5°E which put it about 65 miles (105 km) southwest of Okinawa. Mawar was moving toward the northeast at 13 m.p.h. (20 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 972 mb.
Former Typhoon Mawar weakened to a tropical storm as it moved closer to Okinawa on Thursday. Even though Mawar was a tropical storm, it still produced gusty winds and rain in Okinawa. A weather station in Naha measured a sustained wind speed of 41 m.p.h. (66 km/h). The distribution of thunderstorms was asymmetrical in Tropical Storm Mawar. Most of the thunderstorms were occurring in bands east and south of the center of Mawar. Bands in the northern and western parts of Tropical Storm Mawar consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 250 miles (400 km) from the center of Mawar’s circulation.
Tropical Storm Mawar will move through an environment that will be unfavorable for intensification during the next 48 hours. Mawar will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 25˚C. It will move under the eastern part of an upper level trough that is west of Japan. The upper level trough will produce southwesterly winds that will blow toward the top of Mawar’s circulation. Those winds will cause more vertical wind shear. Tropical Storm Mawar will also pull drier air from Asia into the western part of its circulation. More vertical wind shear and drier air will cause Tropical Storm Mawar to gradually weaken.
The upper level trough west of Japan will steer Tropical Storm Mawar toward the northeast during the next 48 hours. On its anticipated track the center of Mawar will pass near Okinawa during the next few hours. Weather conditions in Okinawa will start to improve when Tropical Storm Mawar moves away later today. Mawar will pass south of Honshu after it moves away from Okinawa. Tropical Storm Mawar could pass south of Tokyo in less than 48 hours.