WDPN32 PGTW 060900 MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI// SUBJ/PROGNOSTIC REASONING FOR TROPICAL STORM 06W (KHANUN) WARNING NR 041// RMKS/ 1. FOR METEOROLOGISTS. 2. 6 HOUR SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS. SUMMARY: INITIAL POSITION: 27.8N 130.1E INITIAL INTENSITY: 55 KTS GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: 319 NM SOUTH OF SASEBO, JAPAN MOVEMENT PAST 6 HOURS: EAST-NORTHEASTWARD AT 06 KTS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT: 36 FEET SATELLITE ANALYSIS, INITIAL POSITION AND INTENSITY DISCUSSION: TROPICAL STORM (TS) 06W HAS MAINTAINED INTENSITY AT 55 KNOTS OVER THE PAST SIX HOURS WITH A SOMEWHAT ERRATIC TRACK OVER THE PAST 12 HOURS DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF MULTIPLE MESOVORTICES ROTATING WITHIN A BROAD, EXPOSED CENTER. ANIMATED MULTISPECTRAL SATELLITE IMAGERY (MSI) CONTINUES TO SHOW AN EXPOSED BUT DOMINANT LOW-LEVEL CIRCULATION (LLC) WITH EXTENSIVE DEEP CONVECTIVE BANDING PERSISTING OVER THE SOUTHERN SEMICIRCLE. A 060430Z AMSR2 89GHZ MICROWAVE IMAGE REVEALS A NARROW BAND OF DEEP CONVECTION WRAPPING AROUND A VERY BROAD, CONVECTION-FREE CENTER (APPROXIMATELY 200-225NM DIAMETER). THE INITIAL POSITION IS PLACED WITH MEDIUM CONFIDENCE BASED ON THE MSI AND AMSR2 IMAGERY AS WELL AS JMA HOURLY RADAR FIXES. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS REMAIN MARGINALLY FAVORABLE WITH SIGNIFICANT DRY AIR IN THE MID- TO UPPER-LEVELS INDICATED IN THE RECENT KAGOSHIMA AND NAZE SOUNDINGS. HOWEVER, THE DEEP CONVECTIVE STRUCTURE HAS MAINTAINED DUE TO LOW VERTICAL WIND SHEAR (VWS), WARM SST (29C) AND MODERATE EQUATORWARD VENTING. THERE IS HIGH CONFIDENCE IN THE INITIAL INTENSITY BASED ON THE 060430Z AMSR2 WINDSPEED DATA AND RANGE OF DVORAK ESTIMATES. INITIAL WIND RADII BASIS: SCATTEROMETER DATA AND AMSR2 DATA CURRENT STEERING MECHANISM: WEAK SUBTROPICAL RIDGE (STR) POSITIONED TO THE EAST AND NORTHEAST AGENCY DVORAK AND AUTOMATED FIXES: PGTW: T3.0 - 45 KTS RJTD: T3.5 - 55 KTS RCTP: T3.0 - 45 KTS KNES: T3.5 - 55 KTS CIMSS SATCON: 45 KTS AT 060120Z CIMSS ADT: 30 KTS AT 060230Z FORECASTER ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT ENVIRONMENT: MARGINALLY FAVORABLE VWS: 10-15 KTS SST: 29-30 CELSIUS OUTFLOW: MODERATE EQUATORWARD OTHER FACTORS: DRY AIR ENTRAINMENT ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE: INITIAL POSITION: MEDIUM INITIAL INTENSITY: HIGH INITIAL WIND RADII: MEDIUM 3. FORECAST REASONING. SIGNIFICANT FORECAST CHANGES: DUE TO THE PROLONGED TRACK OVER THE KOREAN PENINSULA, THE FORECAST PHILOSOPHY HAS BEEN SWITCHED FROM EXTRA-TROPICAL TRANSITION TO DISSIPATION. FORECAST DISCUSSION: TS 06W IS WOBBLING SLOWLY EAST-NORTHEASTWARD ALONG THE NORTHWESTERN PERIPHERY OF THE WEAK STR AND IS EXPECTED TO SLOWLY TURN POLEWARD WITHIN THE NEXT 12 HOURS. TRACK SPEEDS REMAIN SLOW DUE TO A DEVELOPING TROPICAL DISTURBANCE TO THE EAST, WHICH IS DISRUPTING THE STR. THE SYSTEM'S SLOW TRACK MOTION IS RESULTING IN PERSISTENT HEAVY RAINBANDS AND GALE-FORCE WINDS SUSTAINING OVER OKINAWA. AFTER TAU 12, TS 06W WILL TURN NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD AND GRADUALLY INTENSIFY DUE PRIMARILY TO IMPROVING POLEWARD OUTFLOW TO A PEAK OF 65 TO 70 KNOTS BY TAU 72. AS THE LARGE (600NM DIAMETER) SYSTEM TRACKS PARALLEL TO THE WESTERN COAST OF KYUSHU, IT WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN DUE TO FRICTIONAL EFFECTS WITH MORE SIGNIFICANT WEAKENING AS IT APPROACHES THE BUSAN REGION WITH LANDFALL ANTICIPATED NEAR TAU 96. AFTER TAU 96, TS KHANUN WILL TRACK ALONG THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE KOREAN PENINSULA AND BEGIN INTERACTING WITH THE LEADING EDGE OF A SUBTROPICAL SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND WEAK BAROCLINIC ZONE. DESPITE THE BAROCLINIC INFLUENCE, THE SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO DISSIPATE AS IT TRACKS INTO NORTH KOREA AND NORTHEAST CHINA. MODEL DISCUSSION: NUMERICAL MODEL GUIDANCE REMAINS IN FAIR AGREEMENT WITH A 150NM CROSS-TRACK SPREAD IN SOLUTIONS AT TAU 84 (NEAR SASEBO) DIVERGING TO 250NM AT TAU 96 (NEAR BUSAN). IN GENERAL, NUMERICAL GUIDANCE IS IN POOR AGREEMENT AFTER TAU 72 WITH LOW CONFIDENCE (HIGH UNCERTAINTY) IN THE JTWC FORECAST TRACK OVER THE KOREAN PENINSULA. THIS UNCERTAINTY IS ALSO REFLECTED IN THE 060000Z GEFS AND EPS PROBABILISTIC GUIDANCE. OVERALL, THERE IS MEDIUM CONFIDENCE IN THE JTWC INTENSITY FORECAST WITH THE 060000Z COAMPS-TC ENSEMBLE SHOWING AN 80 TO 100 PERCENT PROBABILITY OF REINTENSIFICATION THROUGH TAU 48. FORECAST CONFIDENCE: TRACK 0 - 72 HR: MEDIUM TRACK 72-120 HR: LOW INTENSITY 0 - 72 HR: MEDIUM INTENSITY 72-120 HR: MEDIUM// NNNN