
WDPN33 PGTW 150900
MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI//
SUBJ/PROGNOSTIC REASONING FOR TROPICAL STORM 20W (BEBINCA) WARNING
NR 12//
RMKS/
1. FOR METEOROLOGISTS.
2. 6 HOUR SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS.
TROPICAL STORM 20W (BEBINCA), LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 170 NM WEST-
SOUTHWEST OF HONG KONG, HAS TRACKED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AT 06 KNOTS
OVER THE PAST SIX HOURS. ANIMATED MULTISPECTRAL SATELLITE IMAGERY
DEPICTS PERSISTENT CONVECTION NEAR THE LOW LEVEL CIRCULATION CENTER
(LLCC). THE INITIAL POSITION IS PLACED WITH FAIR CONFIDENCE BASED ON
A 150515Z ATMS 88 GHZ MICROWAVE IMAGE WHICH INDICATES THE LLCC IS
JUST EAST OF THE DEEP CONVECTION. THE INITIAL INTENSITY OF 35 KNOTS
IS CONSISTENT WITH PGTW AND RJTD DVORAK CURRENT INTENSITY ESTIMATES
OF T2.5 (35 KNOTS). OBSERVATIONS LOCATED 60-80 NM TO THE NORTHEAST
OF THE LLCC REPORTED 12-16 KTS. THE ENVIRONMENT IS MARGINALLY
FAVORABLE FOR INTENSIFICATION WITH GOOD EQUATORWARD OUTFLOW BEING
OFFSET BY MODERATE VERTICAL WIND SHEAR (VWS) OF 20-25 KTS. SEA
SURFACE TEMPERATURES (28-29 CELSIUS) SUPPORT INTENSIFICATION. TS 20W
IS MOVING WEST ALONG THE SOUTHERN PERIPHERY OF A SUBTROPICAL RIDGE
(STR) TO THE NORTH.
3. FORECAST REASONING.
A. THERE IS NO CHANGE TO THE FORECAST PHILOSOPHY FROM THE
PREVIOUS PROGNOSTIC REASONING MESSAGE.
B. TS 20W IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TO BE STEERED WESTWARD TO WEST-
SOUTHWESTWARD BY THE STR TO THE NORTH. RECENT MESOSCALE MODELS
INDICATE SOME INTENSIFICATION IS POSSIBLE UNDER MARGINALLY FAVORABLE
CONDITIONS. VWS WILL REMAIN MODERATE TO HIGH THROUGHOUT THE
FORECAST, LIMITING THE POSSIBILITY OF SIGNIFICANT INTENSIFICATION.
AFTER TAU 48, THE SYSTEM WILL MAKE LANDFALL OVER VIETNAM AND BEGIN
TO WEAKEN UNTIL TAU 72 WHEN IT FALLS TO 25 KNOTS. WITH THE EXCEPTION
OF HWRF AND JGSM (BOTH CURL THE CYCLONE TO THE NORTH), DYNAMIC MODEL
GUIDANCE MOSTLY AGREES WITH THE JTWC FORECAST TRACK. THE SPREAD
AMONG THE MODEL GUIDANCE THAT DEPICTS A WESTWARD TRACK INTO VIETNAM
IS ABOUT 350 NM BY TAU 72, PRIMARILY DUE TO VARIATION IN THE ALONG-
TRACK SPEED AMONG THE MEMBERS. BASED ON THE SPREAD AMONG THE MODEL
GUIDANCE, CONFIDENCE IN THE JTWC FORECAST TRACK IS LOW.//
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