A sign near the Kadena Air Base flight line welcomes arrivals to the home of the 18th Wing in Okinawa, Japan, Sept. 17, 2018. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)

12:01 a.m. Saturday, June 1, Japan time: U.S. bases on Okinawa entered seasonal Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 4 as of 1 minute past midnight Saturday, according to Kadena Air Base’s 18th Wing Weather Flight. That signals the start of the northwest Pacific’s typhoon season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. U.S. bases on Okinawa are close to warm-water areas where tropical cyclones can form quickly and close enough to the island to be an immediate or almost-immediate threat. Pacific Storm Tracker will keep close watch on the region and keep readers updated.