Typhoon Kai-Tak Update #12

Typhoon Kai-Tak (Formerly Bagyong Helen) moves closer to the Chinese coast around Guangdong Province and could make landfall in a few hours. It was last located approximately 280km west southwest of Hong Kong or about 120km southeast of Zhanjiang. Maximum sustained winds remain at 120kph with gusts of up to 150kph. Kai-Tak is currently moving west northwestward at 25kph.

As of 5am this morning, HKO has downgraded Strong Wind Signal No. 8 down to a Signal No. 3 expecting winds of 40 to 60kph. CMA has kept Orange Warning for Southern China as strong typhoon-force winds are expected along the southwestern coast of Guangdong. Please continue to monitor the developments and always heed the warnings for your respective areas!

IR Image from NRLMRY

Latest satellite image shows the rugged central dense overcast of Kai-Tak starting to near Leizhou Peninsula. The eyewall struggled to maintain itself and the system was never able to intensify overnight. Nevertheless, Kai-Tak remains a powerful system with damaging winds and heavy rain.

Radar from CMA

Latest radar from the region shows the center of Kai-Tak along with its outer and inner rain bands beginning to affect Leizhou and Hainan. Some stations are also beginning to report sustained winds of up to 60kph. Furthermore, rains from last night brought nearly 80mm of rain in some spots, particularly around Hainan. More rains will fall throughout today and could total to nearly 250mm by tomorrow. For the latest radar images as well as official forecasts and warnings from China, please click HERE (CMA)

Kai-Tak will continue to move west northwestward, making landfall in 3 to 6 hours. It will then move into the Guangxi Province, weakening to a Tropical Storm later today. Kai-Tak will then move into Northern Vietnam later tomorrow (Saturday) as a Tropical Depression and could dissipate as early as Sunday. Areas along the southern coast of China (Guangdong and Guangxi) should expect heavy rainfall in the next 2 days. Northern Vietnam will also experience widespread rains and gusty winds starting tomorrow. By early next week, the remnants of Kai-Tak could continue bringing rains across Indochina as the Southwest Monsoon takes effect.

Elsewhere in the Pacific, a rapidly developing disturbance was spotted east of Taiwan. This is the same system that we have hinted at of a possible development in our video update yesterday. Computer models do continue to show possible cyclone in the next 2 to 3 days. More updates on this disturbance in our Video Update later today.

If you have any storm reports, images and videos, or just comments or suggestions, please email us at philippineweather@yahoo.com

We'll have our next update later this afternoon. Stay safe!

_________________________________________________
Issued (23 UTC) 7am PhT 081712