Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Tropical Storm Leepi (Emong) Update #4

Issued (1330 UTC) 930pm PhT 061813
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Tropical Depression 04W (Emong) has intensified into a Tropical Storm earning the international name of “Leepi”. TS Leepi was last located approximately of 480km east northeast of Aparri, Cagayan or about 780km south southeast of Okinawa, Japan. Maximum sustained winds are at 65kph with gusts of up to 85kph. TS Leepi  is moving northward at 25kph.

IR Image from NRLMRY


Latest satellite image shows strong, but fragmented, convection surrounding the circulation center. There’s hasn’t been much improvement in the last 6 hours, though, as we haven’t seen any further tightening of the convective bands. Nevertheless, TS Leepi continues to show really good poleward outflow aiding the exhaust of the system and is offsetting the slight increase in vertical wind shear.

Tropical Storm Leepi is forecast to continue moving northward towards the Miyako Islands, reaching that area by tomorrow. Monsoonal flow feeding into the circulation of Leepi will continue to enhance widespread rains across the Philippines over the next few days particularly across Luzon and Visayas.

Computer models are in somewhat good agreement with regards to Leepi’s track. The consensus takes the storm near Okinawa by Wednesday evening and eventually into Mainland Japan, starting with Kyushu Island on Thursday.

We’ll have another update tomorrow morning.

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