Typhoon 05W (Guchol), # 29; Tropical Storm 06W (Talim), # 2
Published: June 18, 2012
12:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 19, Japan time: PST is still keeping its beady eyes on ever-weakening Typhoon Guchol as it barrels toward Kyoto, while Tropical Storm Talim continues lurking between Hainan and Taiwan well to Okinawa’s southwest. More on Talim below.
First, Guchol. Yokosuka Naval Base entered Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 2 this morning, effective until 3 p.m. at which point we’ll likely see TCCOR 1. Forecasts call for winds increasing to 35- to 45-mph sustained and 55-mph gusts this evening into early Wednesday morning, decreasing to 25 to 30 with 40-mph gusts by late morning, dropping to 20 to 25 with 35-mph gusts Wednesday evening into Thursday, then gradually diminishing.
Naval Air Facility Atsugi remains in TCCOR 3. Other Kanto bases remain in TCCOR 4. Guchol, which is motoring pretty rapidly, north-northeast at 31 mph, is forecast to slam ashore around Kyoto, then bull across Honshu into the Sea of Japan (Korea’s East Sea), passing 104 miles north of Camp Fuji at 1 a.m. Wednesday and 143 miles north of Yokota, 150 miles north of Atsugi and Camp Zama and 171 miles north of Yokosuka around 3 a.m. Wednesday. It’ll still carry something of a wallop, 52-mph sustained winds and 67-mph gusts at its center, but Kanto bases should be shielded well by two mountain ranges.
As mentioned yesterday, we got something of a dusting on Okinawa last night, maximum 37-mph winds and 52-mph gusts at 9:11 p.m. local. No damage and no power outages were reported. A man in his 70s in Okinawa City was slightly injured and 19 residents voluntarily evacuated from their homes.
Public transportation including buses and the airport monorail were suspended at 6 p.m. Monday but resumed on Tuesday, according to Okinawa’s Crisis Management Office.
Into and out of Naha Airport, 246 flights were canceled Monday and Tuesday, affecting nearly 15,000 passengers, public relations officials for ANA, Japan Airlines and Skymark Airlines told Stripes.
As for Talim, it continues to develop, but rather close to land southeast of Hong Kong. Current Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecasts call for Talim to move quickly east-northeast, interacting briefly with Taiwan, and to develop into no more than a severe tropical storm, packing 52-mph winds and 63-mph gusts at its center as it rolls 180 miles northwest of Kadena Air Base around 7 p.m. Thursday. Okinawa remains in TCCOR 4 for the moment.
It should still be packing 40-mph sustained winds and 52-mph gusts as it roars quickly past Tokyo around 10 a.m. Saturday, 76 miles south of Yokosuka, 93 miles south of Atsugi and Zama and southeast of Fuji and 107 miles south of Yokota.
More later.
