WDPN32 PGTW 082100 MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI// SUBJ/PROGNOSTIC REASONING FOR TROPICAL STORM 16W (PODUL) WARNING NR 008// RMKS/ 1. FOR METEOROLOGISTS. 2. 6 HOUR SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS. SUMMARY: INITIAL POSITION: 21.2N 143.5E INITIAL INTENSITY: 45 KTS GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: 190 NM NORTHWEST OF AGRIHAN MOVEMENT PAST 6 HOURS: WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AT 08 KTS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT: 20 FEET SATELLITE ANALYSIS, INITIAL POSITION AND INTENSITY DISCUSSION: TROPICAL STORM PODUL IS MOVING OUT OF THE DIURNAL MAX PERIOD AND SHOWING A LITTLE MORE STRENGTH THAN YESTERDAY. 24 HOURS AGO THE LOW LEVEL CIRCULATION CENTER (LLCC) WAS EXPOSED BY THE NORTHEASTERLY VERTICAL WINDSHEAR (VWS) BUT THIS CYCLE THE SYSTEM MANAGED TO FIGHT IT OFF TO A MUCH GREATER EXTENT AND REMAIN UNDER THE CANOPY, ALBEIT TOWARDS THE POLEWARD EDGE. A 081605Z AMSR2 COLOR 37-89 SHOWS THE EQUATORWARD DISPLACEMENT OF THE DEEP CONVECTION FROM THE LLCC. THE VORTEX IS PLACED AT THE POLEWARD EDGE OF THE DEEP CONVECTION UNDER THE COLD DARK GREY ON THE IR-BD ENHANCEMENT BUT A LACK OF DISTINCT BANDING MAKES THE DVORAK ASSESSMENT LESS RELIABLE THAN DESIRED. OVERSHOOTING TOPS AND LIGHTNING STRIKES HAVE INCREASED DURING THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS. FORTUNATELY FOR THE INTENSITY ASSESSMENT, THE 081037Z ASCAT PASS WITH UHR PROCESSING CONFIRMED 40 TO 45 KNOTS DURING THE PRE-DAWN HOURS. THE CURRENT INTENSITY IS HELD AT 45KTS TAKING THE MEAN OF AGENCY DVORAKS AND THE CIMSS OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENTS. TS 16W HAS BEEN HEADING ON A VERY STEADY BEARING OF 300 DEGREES AT 12 KNOTS OVER THE PAST 12 HOURS, EDGING SLIGHTLY POLEWARD DUE TO A WEAKNESS IN THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE BETWEEN 140E AND 130E. THE ENVIRONMENT ALONG TRACK IS EXTREMELY HARSH ON THE POLEWARD SIDE DUE TO HIGH VWS AND SUBSTANTIALLY DRIER AIR THAN NORMAL. THE ENVIRONMENT SOUTH OF TRACK IS BETTER, WITH STRONG EQUATORIAL OUTFLOW OVER THE SOUTHEAST QUADRANT AND AMPLE DEEP MOISTURE. THERE IS NOTHING TO INDICATE THAT THE UPSTREAM ENVIRONMENT WILL BECOME LESS LOPSIDED. IN FACT VWS INCREASES SUBSTANTIALLY OVER THE SENKAKUS. INITIAL WIND RADII BASIS: PERSISTENCE FROM A 081037Z ASCAT PASS. CURRENT STEERING MECHANISM: A MID-LEVEL RIDGE EXTENDING OVER THE BONIN ISLANDS TOWARDS TAIWAN. AGENCY DVORAK AND AUTOMATED FIXES: PGTW: T3.5 - 55 KTS RJTD: T2.5 - 35 KTS RCTP: T3.0 - 45 KTS KNES: T3.5 - 55 KTS CIMSS SATCON: 45 KTS AT 081614Z CIMSS ADT: 53 KTS AT 081730Z CIMSS AIDT: 46 KTS AT 081730Z CIMSS D-MINT: 33 KTS AT 081614Z CIMSS D-PRINT: 44 KTS AT 081730Z FORECASTER ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT ENVIRONMENT: MARGINALLY UNFAVORABLE VWS: 10-15 KTS SST: 29-30 CELSIUS OUTFLOW: MODERATE EQUATORWARD ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE: INITIAL POSITION: MEDIUM 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: TS 16W WILL CHUG ALONG TO THE WEST NORTHWEST FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS THEN BEND TO A MORE WESTWARD TRACK AS THE MID LEVEL RIDGE BUILDING ALONG 160E BUILDS AND EXTENDS TOWARDS THE RYUKUS. THE HARSH ENVIRONMENT WILL SLOW DEVELOPMENT TO A LOWER THAN CLIMATOLOGICAL RATE BUT THE SYSTEM WILL STILL ATTAIN TYPHOON STRENGTH AS IT CROSSES THE 138TH MERIDIAN. RAPID INTENSIFICATION AND TRIPLE DIGIT INTENSITY IS LOOKING HIGHLY UNLIKELY DUE TO THE HIGH VWS AND DRY AIR NORTH OF 20N. OKINAWA AND THE NORTHERN SENKAKUS ARE NOT QUITE OFF THE HOOK YET AS A POLEWARD BEND TO THE TRACK STILL REMAINS A POSSIBILITY BUT NOT A PROBABILITY. SOME OF THE LOWER PERFORMING TRACKERS STEER THE SYSTEM THROUGH THE RIDGE BUT THE BETTER TRACKERS KEEP THE SYSTEM SOUTH OF MIYAKOJIMA. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT EVEN IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT OF A TRACK TOWARD OKINAWA, THE ENVIRONMENT ALONG THAT TRACK IS SO HARSH THAT THE STORM WOULD LIKELY BE DRIED OUT AND TORN APART ALMOST TO THE POINT OF BEING UNRECOGNIZABLE IF IT MADE IT THAT FAR. THE TAIWAN-SOUTHERN SENKAKUS SCENARIO IS MUCH MORE LIKELY, AS THE DEEP SHORT WAVE CURRENTLY TRACKING OVER JAPAN PASSES INTO THE PACIFIC AND THE PATTERN BECOMES EXTREMELY MERIDIONAL FOR WPAC. AS THE PATTERN AMPLIFIES THE BONIN HIGH WILL BUILD A HIGH AMPLITUDE RIDGE ALONG THE 165TH MERIDIAN AND EXPAND TOWARDS TAIWAN, WITH H500 HEIGHTS EXCEEDING 5900 METERS ALL THE WAY ACROSS TAIWAN AND INTO MAINLAND CHINA. THE POINT OF DIVERGENCE IN THE TRACKERS COMES NEAR TAU 48 AND 136E. UNTIL THEN, A SMALL THREAT EXISTS TO OKINAWA. TS 16W IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN A DOWNTREND AS IT MOVES INTO AN EVEN HIGHER SHEAR ZONE OVER THE EAST CHINA SEA. MODEL DISCUSSION: THE JTWC TRACK FORECAST RUNS EQUATORWARD OF THE MULTI MODEL CONSENSUS FAVORING THE ECMWF ENSEMBLE AND SOME OF THE NEW BUT IMPRESSIVE-SO-FAR AI TRACKERS. ALTHOUGH CROSS-TRACK SPREAD INCREASES AFTER TAU 72, ALL TRACKERS FOLLOW THE GENERAL TREND OF A WESTWARD RUN TO ALMOST 130E, THEN VARYING DEGREES OF A POLEWARD BEND WITH A WEAKENING THEREAFTER. INTENSITY GUIDANCE IS ALSO IN DECENT AGREEMENT SHOWING A GRADUAL UPTREND THROUGH TAU 36 FOLLOWED BY A SLOW DECLINE. THE JTWC INTENSITY FORECAST STAYS JUST HIGHER THAN THE MID-LINE AND FAVORS HAFS-A. FORECAST CONFIDENCE: TRACK 00-72 HR: MEDIUM TRACK 72-120 HR: MEDIUM INTENSITY 00-72 HR: MEDIUM INTENSITY 72-120 HR: MEDIUM// NNNN