Typhoon Dolphin moved toward Okinawa on Tuesday. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Typhoon Dolphin was located at latitude 25.5°N and longitude 137.7°E which put the center about 655 miles (1055 km) east of Okinawa. Dolphin was moving toward the west at 11 m.p.h. (17 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 943 mb.
The intensity of Typhoon Dolphin fluctuated a little on Tuesday, but Dolphin ended the day as strong as it was when the day started. A circular eye with a diameter of 25 miles (40 km) was at the center of Dolphin’s circulation. The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms.
Typhoon Dolphin appeared to pull some drier air into its circulation on Tuesday. Bands of showers and thunderstorms still were revolving around the core of Dolphin’s circulation. However, there were wider areas of clear air in between the rainbands. Storms near the core of Dolphin generated strong upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the typhoon. The removal of mass in the upper levels was nearly equal to the convergence of mass in the lower levels of the atmosphere. So, the surface pressure did not change much again on Tuesday.
The circulation around Typhoon Dolpin got even larger on Tuesday. Winds to typhoon force extended out 130 miles (210 km) from the center of Dolphin’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 290 miles (465 km) from the center of Typhoon Dolphin.
The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Dolphin is 20.6. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) is 40.6 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) is 61.2. Typhoon Dolphin is similar in intensity to Hurricane Irma was when Irma hit South Florida in 2017. Typhoon Dolphin is much larger than Irma was.
Typhoon Dolphin will move through an environment that will be favorable for a powerful typhoon during the next 24 hours. Dolphin will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C. It will move under the middle of an upper level ridge that is over the Western North Pacific Ocean. The upper level winds are weak near the middle of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear. Typhoon Dolphin is likely to maintain its intensity on Wednesday unless another eyewall replacement cycle occurs.
Typhoon Dolphin will move around the southern side of a high pressure system that is over the Western North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Dolphin toward the west during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, the center of Typhoon Dolphin will be near Minami Daito Jima in less than 36 hours. The center of Typhoon Dolpin will be near Okinawa in 48 hours,
Typhoon Dolphin will bring strong winds and heavy rain to Minami Daito Jima and to the central Ryukyu Islands including Okinawa later this week. Heavy rains are likely to cause flash floods in some locations. Typhoon Dolphin could also cause a storm surge of up to 10 feet (3 meters) along the coast of some of the islands.
Elsewhere over the Western North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Kujira formed west of Luzon. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Tropical Storm Kujira was located at latitude 17.6°N and longitude 119.0°E which put the center about 260 miles (420 km) northwest of Manila, Philippines. Kujira was moving toward the west-northwest at 3 m.p.h. (5 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 999 mb.
