Typhoon 22W (Prapiroon), # 7: Zig-zag walk or Cupid Shuffle?
Published: October 15, 2012
6:45 p.m. Monday, Oct. 15, Japan time: An old 1970s and 80s rocker like myself would say that Typhoon Prapiroon is channeling its inner Foghat, for the album Zig-Zag Walk, recorded in 1982. Most of the young crowd today would prefer the Cupid Shuffle, for Prapiroon seems as if it can’t make up its mind; or, to borrow a line from my blogging idol Stormy, whether it wants to go to the left-left-left or to the right-right-right.
Regardless, what a weird storm! After creepy-crawling northeast for the better part of the weekend, the Thai God of Rain reversed course southwest early Monday, then turned southeast and is quasi-stationary at this writing. Forecasts call for Prapiroon to pick up forward speed northeast and batter Okinawa with sustained 40-mph winds between 5 and 9 a.m. Wednesday. Peak sustained winds of 46 mph and 63-mph gusts are forecast for 8 a.m. Wednesday.
Prapiroon should next roar like a rocket sled on rails about 200 miles southeast of the Kanto Plain by mid-evening Friday, still packing a pretty powerful punch: 69-mph sustained winds and 86-mph gusts at its center. Yokosuka should feel the brunt of Prapiroon’s outer bands, perhaps gusts of 35 to 40 mph along with rain squalls, pretty much what it will get on Wednesday from Tropical Storm Maria. We should have a better idea later in the week how much effect Prapiroon will have on the Kan-to.
