Western Pacific the hotspot today tropically

[WXBUFFJIM]

The tropics in the Atlantic Basin and eastern Pacific remain quiet this morning. However the same cannot be said in the western Pacific where we got two tropical systems threatening land over the next few days. The first system of note is typhoon Conson, which is centered near 27.1 north, 127.5 east. Movement is towards the northeast at around 20 mph. Maximum sustained winds currently near 95 mph with higher gusts. Further weakening is anticipated over the next few days. However the track will likely take Conson over southern Japan as a strong tropical storm producing very heavy rainfall over the next few days.

Meanwhile further south, another tropical storm 08W is expected to intensify quickly to a very strong typhoon over the next several days as it moves over the south China Sea just southwest of the Philippines. Tropical Storm 08W is centered near latitude 11.5 north, longitude 119.1 east. Movement is toward the west northwest at around 13 mph. Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph with higher gusts. Further strengthening is anticipated over the next few days and Tropical Storm 08 W could become a pretty strong typhoon over the next several days.
The track should take TS 08W from the south China Sea northwestward to the Gulf Of Tonkin. Just east of the Gulf Of Tonkin is the island Hainan Dao, which is expected to just barely miss out on this developing storm system. It's as this system tracks over the central Gulf Of Tonkin when it could max out at 95 mph or stronger. The next location of concern is possible landfall in northern Vietnam. The capital city of Hanoi is potentially in the path of this storm. Both Conson and 08W will be monitored carefully over the next several days.

Meanwhile it's all quiet in the eastern Pacific this morning. Any convection over the water has weakened substantially and thus no tropical development expected. The only storms of note are moving off the coast of Mexico.

Meanwhile strong winds aloft continue in the Atlantic. As a result, convection in the western Caribbean and the tropical Atlantic east of the Leeward Islands are being sheared by strong westerly winds aloft. No tropical development is expected.

Jim