Tropical Storm Son-Tinh (Ofel) Update #9

Son-Tinh (Formerly Bagyong Ofel) has intensified into a Typhoon as it moves across the South China Sea. The system was last located approximately 380km east of the coast of Vietnam or about 300km southeast of Hainan. Maximum sustained winds are now at 120kph with gusts of up to 150kph. Typhoon Son-Tinh is moving west northwestward at 25kph.

IR Image from NRLMRY

Latest satellite image shows the system continuing to get more organized. Convective activity remains strong and the central dense overcast continues to be symmetric aided by good poleward outflow. Son-Tinh is still hundreds of kilometers away from land but outer rain bands could begin to impact the coasts of Hainan and Vietnam later today.

Typhoon Son-Tinh will continue to move across the South China Sea today passing between Hainan and Vietnam. Stormy conditions will impact both areas and will get worse as the day goes on. Conditions are still favorable and we expect Son-Tinh to slowly intensify a little bit more in the next 12 hours. It is forecast to make landfall south of Hanoi by early tomorrow morning (Sunday) and will rapidly weaken to a Tropical Storm and then to a depression by Monday. Widespread rains and strong winds are likely across Northern Vietnam and even across Indochina in the next few days.

We'll have another update later this afternoon.

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Issued (23 UTC) 7am PhT 102712