Bualoi expected to be typhoon in next 12 hours; slows, intensifies

Graphic of Himawari Satellite imagery taken from tropicaltidbits.com

By Barbara Brown

[email protected]

(Tumon, Guam) As of 1 p.m. (ChST) Sunday, Tropical Storm Bualoi slowed its move west-northwest even further to 12 mph, and has intensified with maximum sustained winds of 69 mph, just five short of being classified as a typhoon.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecasts that Bualoi will strengthen into a typhoon within the next 12 hours. As of 1 p.m. it was located 454 miles east-southeast of Guam.

Excerpt from JTWC graphic forecast of Bualoi's closest point of approach to the Marianas by geographic point. The second column represents how close in nautical miles from the named locations that the center of the storm will pass. The last column represents the date and the time (Zulu) of the closest point of approach.

Bualoi now is forecast to veer further north. According to the latest info from JTWC, it has moved away from Tinian and may barely miss Saipan.

Graphic from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center

Graphic from Windy.com