Typhoon Mawar move south-southeast of Miyakojima on Wednesday morning. At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Typhoon Mawar was located at latitude 23.0°N and longitude 125.6°E which put it about 120 miles (195 km) south-southeast of Miyakojima, Japan. Mawar was moving toward the north-northeast at 5 m.p.h. (8 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 981 mb.
Typhoon Mawar continued to weaken slowly as it moved closer to the southern Ryukyu Islands on Wednesday. The circulation around Mawar was pulling drier air from Asia into the western part of the typhoon. Bands in the western half of Typhoon Mawar consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds. Many of the thunderstorms in Mawar were occurring in bands in the eastern half of the typhoon. Storms in the eastern half of Mawar’s circulation generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away to the east of the typhoon. Winds to typhoon force extended out 60 miles (95 km) from the center of Mawar. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 200 miles (320 km) from the center of circulation.
Typhoon Mawar will move through an environment that will be less favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Mawar will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 27˚C. It will move under the the axis of an upper level ridge over the Western North Pacific Ocean. The upper level winds are weak near the axis of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear. The drier air in the western half of Mawar’s circulation air will inhibit the formation of thunderstorms in that part of the typhoon. In addition, since Typhoon Mawar is moving slowly, winds in the lower levels are likely to mix cooler water to the surface of the Pacific Ocean. The effects of the drier air and mixing of cooler water to the surface of the ocean are likely to cause Typhoon Mawar to weaken gradually during the next 24 hours.
Typhoon Mawar will move around the western part of a subtropical high pressure system over the Western North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Mawar toward the north-northeast during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, the center of Typhoon Mawar will pass a little to the east of Miyakojima in 12 hours. Mawar could approach Okinawa in 24 hours. Mawar is likely to be tropical storm when it reaches Okinawa.