Tropical Storm 06W (Talim), # 5
Published: June 20, 2012
12:45 a.m. Thursday, June 21, Japan time: Looks as if Tropical Storm Talim is enough of a concern on Okinawa that a wind forecast timeline has been published by Kadena Air Base’s 18th Wing Weather Flight. Destructive 58-mph winds and greater are not forecast to occur, thank goodness, and Okinawa remains in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 4 (for now). Expect sustained 40-mph winds between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. today, with maximum sustained 35-mph winds and 52-mph gusts around 2 p.m. Talim is forecast to rumble 210 miles northwest of Okinawa at 4 p.m. Thursday. Sasebo Naval Base in southwestern Kyushu remains in TCCOR Storm Watch, just as a precaution; Talim is forecast to scoot some 96 miles south of Sasebo at 6 a.m. Friday as a severe tropical depression.
9:20 p.m. Wednesday, June 20, Japan time: Unless something changes drastically, expect Tropical Storm Talim to knife its way northeast between Taiwan and China, 250 miles north-northwest of Okinawa at 3 p.m. Thursday and 113 miles south-southeast of Sasebo Naval Base around 3 a.m. Friday, packing moderate tropical storm-strength 52-mph sustained and 63-mph gusts at its center. Each area should get a moderate dusting of banana winds before rapidly jetting along the coasts of Kyushu, Shikoku and Honshu and exiting into the northwest Pacific, much as Typhoon Guchol did earlier this week. While we're not expecting a major hammerblow, it wouldn't hurt to pick up that tricycle and roll it indoors, just in case. If you can pick it up, so can a tropical cyclone. :)
