02W is located 500 km east-southeast of Iwo To, and has tracked northwestward at 9 km/h (5 knots) over the past 6 hours. Maximum significant wave height is 3.7 meters (12 feet).
02W is forecast to track northwestward, along the southwestern edge of the
subtropical ridge over the next 2 days.
In around 3 days, the system will begin to round the ridge axis and turn northeastward as it skirts the eastern coast of central Honshu. 02W will then accelerate off to the northeast through the remainder of the forecast period.
Regarding intensity, 02W is forecast to marginally intensify over the next 24 hours as the vortex tracks away from the
TUTT cell and
shear decreases.
The poleward
outflow channel will begin to wane simultaneously though, putting a cap on the intensification trend. In around 2 days,
sea surface temperatures will begin to drop as the system gains latitude.
Sea temperatures are expected to be around 25°C at 3 days and then 22°C at 4 days, causing the system to weaken and drop below tropical storm strength as it approaches Honshu.
Dissipation is forecast to occur in around 4 days due to combination of cool waters and rapidly increasing shear. Model guidance agrees on a northwestward track with a recurve scenario.
NAVGEM is the primary outlier, as it has the system move more quickly and recurve sooner than the remainder of guidance suggests. The JTWC track forecast is placed closer to the main grouping of trackers with medium confidence over the next 3 days and then low confidence thereafter.
The lower confidence after 3 days is attributed to the increase in along-track spread as the shallow vortex races off to the northeast. Intensity guidance is in moderate agreement with consensus members ranging from 55–85 km/h (30–45 knots) over the next 2 days and then weakening over the next 4 days.
HWRF and COAMPS-TC (GFS based) are the two slightly more aggressive models of the bunch.
Overall, the JTWC intensity forecast is placed with medium confidence throughout the forecast period.
Warning Number 1. Information provided by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC).