WDPN31 PGTW 250300 MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI// SUBJ/PROGNOSTIC REASONING FOR TYPHOON 17W (SAUDEL) WARNING NR 027// RMKS/ 1. FOR METEOROLOGISTS. 2. 6 HOUR SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS. SUMMARY: INITIAL POSITION: 26.0N 131.1E INITIAL INTENSITY: 90 KTS GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: 180 NM EAST OF KADENA AB MOVEMENT PAST 6 HOURS: WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AT 12 KTS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT: 45 FEET SATELLITE ANALYSIS, INITIAL POSITION AND INTENSITY DISCUSSION: ANIMATED MULTISPECTRAL SATELLITE IMAGERY (MSI) DEPICTS TYPHOON (TY) 17W (SAUDEL) CONTINUING TO TRACK TOWARDS THE RYUKU ISLANDS. THE EYE IS NOW COMPLETELY FILLED AND HAS OPENED IN THE WESTERN QUADRANT, AS EVIDENCED BY THE 242300Z GPM GMI IMAGERY. THE SLIGHT DRY AIR ENTRAINMENT FROM THE WEST CONTINUES TO EAT AWAY AT THE SYSTEM, CAUSING NOTICEABLY LESS DEEP CONVECTION ALONG THE WESTERN FLANK. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS REVEALS A MARGINALLY FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT, CHARACTERIZED BY LOW TO MODERATE (15-20 KTS) VERTICAL WIND SHEAR (VWS), WARM (29-30 C) SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES (SST), AND MODERATE RADIAL OUTFLOW, OFFSET BY THE DRY AIR ENTRAINMENT. THE VWS HAS BACKED OFF SLIGHTLY IN THE PAST 6 HOURS, CONTRIBUTING TO THE IMPROVED ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. THE INITIAL POSITION IS PLACED WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE BASED ON THE 242300Z GMI DATA. THE INITIAL INTENSITY OF 90 KTS IS ASSESSED WITH MEDIUM CONFIDENCE BASED ON THE EARLIER 242105Z RCM-1 SAR DATA REVEALING MAXIMUM WINDS OF 93 KTS IN THE NORTHERN SEMICIRCLE, SUPPORTED BY THE AGENCY DVORAK FIXES AND CIMSS AUTOMATED INTENSITY ESTIMATES LISTED BELOW. INITIAL WIND RADII BASIS: PERSISTENCE CURRENT STEERING MECHANISM: THE SOUTHWESTERN FLANK OF A DEEP-LAYER SUBTROPICAL RIDGE (STR) WHICH EXTENDS SOUTHEASTWARD FROM JAPAN AGENCY DVORAK AND AUTOMATED FIXES: PGTW: T5.0 - 90 KTS RCTP: T5.5 - 102 KTS CIMSS ADT: 82 KTS AT 250000Z CIMSS AIDT: 89 KTS AT 250000Z CIMSS D-MINT: 86 KTS AT 242259Z CIMSS D-PRINT: 86 KTS AT 240000Z FORECASTER ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT ENVIRONMENT: MARGINALLY FAVORABLE VWS: 15-20 KTS SST: 29-30 CELSIUS OUTFLOW: MODERATE RADIAL OTHER FACTORS: SLIGHT DRY AIR ENTRAINMENT FROM THE WEST ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE: INITIAL POSITION: HIGH INITIAL INTENSITY: MEDIUM INITIAL WIND RADII: MEDIUM 3. FORECAST REASONING. SIGNIFICANT FORECAST CHANGES: THERE ARE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE FORECAST FROM THE PREVIOUS WARNING. FORECAST DISCUSSION: TY 17W (SAUREL) IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TRACKING NORTHWESTWARD WHILE IT REMAINS UNDER THE STEERING INFLUENCE OF THE DEEP-LAYER STR STRETCHING SOUTHEASTWARD FROM JAPAN. 17W IS EXPECTED TO PASS THROUGH THE RYUKU ISLANDS JUST AFTER TAU 12 AT AN INTENSITY OF 85 KTS. BETWEEN TAU 12-24, 17W WILL ENCOUNTER A WEAKNESS IN THE STEERING STR, CAUSING IT TO SLOW ITS SPEED OF ADVANCE IN THE EAST CHINA SEA BETWEEN TAU 24-48. SIMULTANEOUSLY, A STR CURRENTLY CENTERED OVER EASTERN CHINA IS EXPECTED TO BUILD AND ASSUME STEERING AUTHORITY OVER SAUDEL, INDUCING A SOUTHWESTWARD TRACK FROM TAU 36 THROUGH TAU 120, ACCELERATING SAUREL TOWARDS THE COAST AS THE RIDGE BUILDS. LANDFALL IN EASTERN CHINA IS ANTICIPATED AROUND TAU 72, WITH DISSIPATION FORECAST NO LATER THAN TAU 120. REGARDING INTENSITY, 17W IS ASSESSED TO BE IN ITS TERMINAL WEAKENING PHASE PRIOR TO LANDFALL, WITH GRADUAL WEAKENING FORECAST TO OCCUR THROUGH TAU 72 AND RAPID WEAKENING OVER LAND FORECAST FROM TAU 96-120. THE ENVIRONMENT IS EXPECTED TO DETERIORATE THROUGHOUT THE FORECAST PERIOD, WITH VWS REMAINING BETWEEN 20-30 KTS UNTIL LANDFALL, WHICH WILL FORCE ADDITIONAL DRY AIR INTO THE CORE. THE SSTS AND OCEAN HEAT CONTENT WILL REMAIN FAVORABLE UNTIL 72, SLIGHTLY BALANCING THE VWS AND DRY AIR. DISSIPATION IS FORECAST TO OCCUR BEFORE TAU 120 AS THE RUGGED TERRAIN SHREDS THE SYSTEM. MODEL DISCUSSION: DETERMINISTIC MODEL TRACK GUIDANCE IS IN VERY STRONG AGREEMENT THROUGH TAU 24, CONTRIBUTING TO HIGH CONFIDENCE AS SAUREL PASSES THROUGH THE RYUKU ISLANDS. GUIDANCE REMAINS IN GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH LANDFALL AT TAU 72, AND LENDS HIGH CONFIDENCE TO THE JTWC TRACK FORECAST FROM TAU 0-72. FOLLOWING TAU 72, TRACK GUIDANCE DIVERGES AS LAND INTERACTION BEGINS TO INFLUENCE THE STORM. AS A RESULT, THE JTWC TRACK FORECAST FROM TAU 72-120 IS PLACED WITH MEDIUM CONFIDENCE. RELIABLE INTENSITY AIDS ARE IN VERY GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH TAU 72, WITH ALL MEMBERS DEPICTING A GRADUAL WEAKENING UNTIL TAU 72, FOLLOWED BY RAPID WEAKENING OVER LAND. THE JTWC INTENSITY FORECAST IS ASSESSED WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE FROM TAU 0-72. AFTER TAU 72, INTENSITY GUIDANCE SPREAD INCREASES SLIGHTLY AS MODELS DISAGREE OVER THE EXTENT OF WEAKENING OVER LAND. AS A RESULT, THE JTWC INTENSITY FORECAST IS ASSESSED WITH MEDIUM CONFIDENCE FROM TAU 72-120. THE JTWC LIES VERY CLOSE TO THE MULTI-MODEL CONSENSUS, HAFS-A SOLUTION, AND COAMPS-TC (GFS BOUNDARY CONDITION) SOLUTION, WITH THE GFS DETERMINISTIC AND COAMPS-TC (NAVGEM BOUNDARY CONDITIONS) ALSO NEARBY. FORECAST CONFIDENCE: TRACK 00-72 HR: HIGH TRACK 72-120 HR: MEDIUM INTENSITY 00-72 HR: HIGH INTENSITY 72-120 HR: MEDIUM// NNNN