Tag Archives: Tapah

Tapah Strengthens to a Typhoon Southwest of Japan

Former Tropical Storm Tapah strengthened into a typhoon southwest of Japan on Saturday.  At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Typhoon Tapah was located at latitude 29.2°N and longitude 125.9°E which put it about 380 miles (610 km) southwest of Nagasaki, Japan.  Tapah was moving toward the north at 12 m.p.h. (19 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 75 m.p.h. (120 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 90 m.p.h. (145 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 972 mb.

The circulation around Typhoon Tapah was very large.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 250 miles (400 km) from the center of circulation.  There was a large eye with a diameter of 60 miles (95 km) at the center of Typhoon Tapah.  The eye was surrounded by a broken ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms.  Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the large eye of Tapah.  It appeared on satellite imagery as if some drier air might be wrapping around the southeastern side of the circulation.

Typhoon Tapah will move through an environment that could allow it to maintain its current intensity for another 12 to 24 hours.  Tapah will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 28°C.  An upper level trough over eastern Asia will produce southwesterly winds which will cause some vertical wind shear, but the shear may not be strong enough to weaken Tapah today.  Typhoon Tapah will move under stronger upper level westerly winds in the middle latitudes on Sunday and the increase in wind shear will weaken the typhoon.  Stronger wind shear and cooler Sea Surface Temperatures will cause Typhoon Tapah to begin a transition into an extratropical cyclone on Sunday.

Typhoon Tapah will move around the western end of a subtropical ridge over the Western North Pacific Ocean during the next 12 to 18 hours.  The ridge will steer Tapah toward the north during that time period.  The stronger westerly winds in the middle latitudes will turn Tapah toward the northeast on Sunday.  On its anticipated track the center of Typhoon Tapah will be west of Kyushu in about 12 to 18 hours.  The center of Tapah could pass between South Korea and Japan on Sunday and then it will move over the Sea of Japan.  Because it has such a large circulation Typhoon Tapah could bring gusty winds and locally heavy rain to parts of Kyushu, Honshu and South Korea.

Tropical Storm Tapah Develops East of Taiwan

Tropical Storm Tapah developed east of Taiwan on Thursday.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Tropical Storm Tapah was located at latitude 23.3°N and longitude 126.5°E which put it about 150 miles (245 km) east-southeast of Ishigaki, Japan.  Tapah was moving toward the west at 7 m.p.h. (11 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h) and there were gusts to 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 965 mb.

A distinct low level center of circulation formed on the northern side of an area of thunderstorms east of Taiwan on Thursday and the Japan Meteorological Agency designated the system as Tropical Storm Tapah.  The distribution of thunderstorms around Tapah was asymmetrical.  Most of the thunderstorms  were occurring in bands in the southern half of the circulation.  Bands in the northern half of the tropical storm consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds.  Storm on the southern side of the center began to generate upper level divergence which pumped mass away from the tropical storm.  The circulation around Tropical Storm Tapah was very large.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out about 250 miles (400 km) from the center of circulation.

Tropical Storm Tapah will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next several days.  Tapah will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 29°C.  It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear.  Some drier air north of Tropical Storm Tapah could inhibit the development of bands of thunderstorms on the northern side of the circulation.  Tropical Storm Tapah is likely to intensify and it could strengthen into a typhoon during the weekend.

Tropical Storm Tapah will move around the western end of a subtropical ridge over the Western North Pacific Ocean.  The ridge will steer Tapah more toward the northwest on Friday.  Tapah will move more toward the north when it rounds the western end of the ridge.  On its anticipated track Tropical Storm Tapah could move over the southern Ryukyu Islands in about 12 hours.  The center of Tapah could pass west of Okinawa in about 24 hours.