WDPN31 PGTW 271500 MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI// SUBJ/PROGNOSTIC REASONING FOR TROPICAL DEPRESSION 26W (NALGAE) WARNING NR 003// RMKS/ 1. FOR METEOROLOGISTS. 2. 6 HOUR SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS. SUMMARY: INITIAL POSITION: 12.1N 130.1E INITIAL INTENSITY: 30 KTS GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: 552 NM EAST-SOUTHEAST OF MANILA, PHILIPPINES MOVEMENT PAST 6 HOURS: WESTWARD AT 05 KTS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT: 12 FEET SATELLITE ANALYSIS, INITIAL POSITION AND INTENSITY DISCUSSION: UPPER-LEVEL ANALYSIS USING THE 271200Z UW-CIMSS UPPER-LEVEL WINDS CHART, UPPER DIVERGENCE CHART AND ANIMATED WATER VAPOR IMAGERY CONTINUE TO INDICATE THAT THE TUTT IS POSITIONED OVER THE NORTHERN SEMICIRCLE OF THE SYSTEM WITH CONVERGENCE ALOFT. WHILE THIS IS HINDERING CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT OVER THE NORTHERN SEMICIRCLE, STRONG EQUATORWARD OUTFLOW OVER THE SOUTHERN SEMICIRCLE IS CONTINUING TO FUEL EXTENSIVE, INTENSE DEEP CONVECTION. ANIMATED ENHANCED INFRARED SATELLITE IMAGERY DEPICTS STRONG MID-LEVEL TURNING; HOWEVER, THE LOW- LEVEL CIRCULATION CENTER (LLCC) REMAINS BROAD AND VERY DIFFICULT TO PINPOINT. A 271233Z AMSU-B 89GHZ MICROWAVE IMAGE REVEALS CURVED CONVECTIVE BANDING OVER THE SOUTHERN SEMICIRCLE WITH A POORLY DEFINED LLCC AND FRAGMENTED CORE CONVECTION. THE INITIAL POSITION IS PLACED WITH LOW CONFIDENCE BASED ON EXTRAPOLATION FROM A 270911Z SMOS WINDSPEED IMAGE, WHICH SHOWS A BROAD CENTER (WIND MINIMUM) WITH A SWATH OF 25-30 KNOT WINDS WRAPPING AROUND THE SOUTHERN, EASTERN AND NORTHERN QUADRANTS. ALTHOUGH THIS IMAGE SHOWS ISOLATED PATCHES OF 35 KNOT WINDS, THE INITIAL INTENSITY REMAINS ASSESSED AT 30 KTS BASED ON THE AGENCY DVORAK ESTIMATES WITH MEDIUM CONFIDENCE. INITIAL WIND RADII BASIS: NOT APPLICABLE (THERE ARE NO INITIAL WIND RADII). CURRENT STEERING MECHANISM: LOW- TO MID-LEVEL SUBTROPICAL RIDGE (STR) POSITIONED TO THE NORTH. AGENCY DVORAK AND AUTOMATED FIXES: PGTW: T2.0 - 30 KTS RJTD: T2.0 - 30 KTS KNES: T2.0 - 30 KTS CIMSS ADT: 33 KTS AT 271140Z FORECASTER ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT ENVIRONMENT: MARGINALLY FAVORABLE VWS: 0-5 KTS SST: 29-30 CELSIUS OUTFLOW: STRONG EQUATORWARD ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE: INITIAL POSITION: MEDIUM INITIAL INTENSITY: MEDIUM INITIAL WIND RADII: NOT APPLICABLE 3. FORECAST REASONING. SIGNIFICANT FORECAST CHANGES: THERE ARE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE FORECAST FROM THE PREVIOUS WARNING. FORECAST DISCUSSION: TD 26W IS STRUGGLING TO CONSOLIDATE DUE TO A MARGINALLY FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT, HOWEVER, THE TUTT IS FORECAST TO WEAKEN WITH EXPANDING POLEWARD OUTFLOW INTO THE WESTERLIES TO THE NORTH DEVELOPING WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THIS SHOULD ALLOW THE SYSTEM TO CONSOLIDATE AND INTENSIFY AT A FASTER RATE TO A PEAK OF 75 KNOTS BY TAU 48 NEAR LANDFALL OVER EASTERN LUZON. TD 26W WILL WEAKEN SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE PHILIPPINES BUT IS EXPECTED TO RE-INTENSIFY AS IT RECURVES POLEWARD AND TRACKS AWAY FROM LUZON AFTER TAU 96. A DYNAMIC 500MB SHORTWAVE TROUGH IS FORECAST TO PROPAGATE OVER EASTERN CHINA AFTER TAU 84, WHICH SHOULD BREAK THE STR DOWN AND ALLOW THE SYSTEM TO TRACK SLOWLY POLEWARD. MODEL DISCUSSION: NUMERICAL GUIDANCE IS IN FAIR AGREEMENT THROUGH TAU 72 WITH A 95NM SPREAD IN SOLUTIONS AT TAU 48 AND A 150NM SPREAD IN SOLUTIONS AT TAU 72. AFTER TAU 72, THERE IS A BIFURCATION IN THE GUIDANCE WITH ECMWF, EEMN AND NAVGEM SHOWING A MORE WESTWARD TRACK TOWARD HONG KONG WITH AN EVENTUAL STALL AND RAPID WEAKENING SOUTHWEST OF TAIWAN AS THE SYSTEM INTERACTS WITH A NORTHEAST SURGE EVENT. THE REMAINDER OF THE DETERMINISTIC GUIDANCE SHOWS A SLOW RECURVATURE TRACK WEST AND NORTHWEST OF LUZON THEN A SLOW NORTHEASTWARD TRACK. THE 270600Z ECMWF (EPS) ENSEMBLE SHOWS A BIFURCATION SCENARIO WITH THE FIRST CLUSTER OF SOLUTIONS RECURVING THE SYSTEM NORTHEASTWARD TOWARD TAIWAN AND THE SECOND CLUSTER TRACKING THE SYSTEM WEST- NORTHWESTWARD TO NORTHWESTWARD TOWARD SOUTHERN CHINA. INTENSITY GUIDANCE IS NOW IN BETTER AGREEMENT WITH A 65-85 KNOT RANGE OF PEAK INTENSITIES. HWRF NOW HAS A MORE REALISTIC PEAK OF 75 KNOTS WITH A TRACK OVER LUZON. THE 270600Z COAMPS-TC ENSEMBLE INDICATES A 20 TO 30 PERCENT PROBABILITY FOR RAPID INTENSIFICATION IN THE 24 TO 48 HOUR PERIOD. DUE TO THE MARGINALLY FAVORABLE CONDITIONS AND BROAD NATURE OF THE SYSTEM CURRENTLY, THIS IS UNLIKELY BUT THE JTWC INTENSITY FORECAST STILL ANTICIPATES MODERATE INTENSIFICATION BEFORE LANDFALL. DUE TO THE LARGE SPREAD IN DETERMINISTIC AND PROBABILISTIC GUIDANCE IN THE EXTENDED PERIOD AND POSSIBLE INTERACTION WITH THE NORTHEAST SURGE EVENT, THERE IS LOW CONFIDENCE IN THE 72-120 HOUR JTWC FORECAST TRACK AND INTENSITY FORECAST. FORECAST CONFIDENCE: TRACK 0 - 72 HR: MEDIUM TRACK 72-120 HR: LOW INTENSITY 0 - 72 HR: MEDIUM INTENSITY 72-120 HR: LOW// NNNN