WDPN32 PGTW 110900 MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI// SUBJ/PROGNOSTIC REASONING FOR TROPICAL STORM 32W (FUNG-WONG) WARNING NR 029// RMKS/ 1. FOR METEOROLOGISTS. 2. 6 HOUR SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS. SUMMARY: INITIAL POSITION: 20.1N 118.6E INITIAL INTENSITY: 55 KTS GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: 279 NM EAST-SOUTHEAST OF HONG KONG MOVEMENT PAST 6 HOURS: NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD AT 07 KTS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT: 24 FEET SATELLITE ANALYSIS, INITIAL POSITION AND INTENSITY DISCUSSION: ANIMATED MULTISPECTRAL SATELLITE IMAGERY (MSI) DEPICTS TROPICAL STORM 32W (FUNG-WONG) WITH WIDESPREAD SHALLOW CONVECTION OBSCURING THE LOW-LEVEL CIRCULATION CENTER (LLCC). AN 110152Z METOP-B ASCAT IMAGE REVEALED GALE-FORCE WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ENHANCED NORTHWESTERLY SURGE EXTENDING ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE TAIWAN STRAIT. THE ASCAT ALSO REVEALED THAT THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE CONFINED TO A SWATH OF WESTERLY WINDS WITHIN THE SOUTHERN SEMICIRCLE. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT 32W IS IN AN UNFAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT CHARACTERIZED BY STRONG POLEWARD OUTFLOW AND WARM (27-28 C) SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES, GREATLY OFFSET BY MODERATE (15-20 KTS) SOUTHEASTERLY VERTICAL WIND SHEAR AND SIGNIFICANT DRY AIR ENTRAINMENT. THE INITIAL POSITION IS PLACED WITH MEDIUM CONFIDENCE BASED ON THE ANIMATED MSI. THE INITIAL INTENSITY OF 55 KTS IS ASSESSED WITH MEDIUM CONFIDENCE BASED ON THE AGENCY DVORAK FIXES AND CIMSS OBJECTIVE INTENSITY ESTIMATES LISTED BELOW. INITIAL WIND RADII BASIS: PERSISTENCE FROM THE 110152Z METOP-B ASCAT SCATTEROMETER DATA CURRENT STEERING MECHANISM: WESTERN PERIPHERY OF A SUBTROPICAL RIDGE CENTERED TO THE EAST AGENCY DVORAK AND AUTOMATED FIXES: PGTW: T3.5 - 55 KTS RJTD: T3.5 - 55 KTS RCTP: T3.5 - 55 KTS KNES: T3.5 - 55 KTS DEMS: T3.5 - 55 KTS CIMSS SATCON: 56 KTS AT 110545Z CIMSS ADT: 65 KTS AT 110600Z CIMSS AIDT: 58 KTS AT 110600Z CIMSS D-PRINT: 48 KTS AT 110600Z FORECASTER ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT ENVIRONMENT: UNFAVORABLE VWS: 15-20 KTS SST: 27-28 CELSIUS OUTFLOW: STRONG POLEWARD OTHER FACTORS: NORTHWESTERLY SURGE FLOW INTRODUCING COLD, DRY AIR TO THE VORTEX. 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 32W IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE ROUNDING THE WESTERN EXTENT OF THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE THROUGH TAU 48 WITH A GENERALLY NORTHEASTWARD TRACK. LANDFALL WITHIN THE SOUTHWESTERN COAST OF TAIWAN IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR JUST AFTER TAU 24. THE ENVIRONMENT WILL CONTINUE TO BE UNFAVORABLE, CAUSING 32W TO WEAKEN THROUGH THE APPROACH TO TAIWAN. THE SYSTEM WILL THEN QUICKLY TRACK ACROSS SOUTHERN TAIWAN AND EMERGE BACK OVER WATER. THE COMBINATION OF EFFECTS FROM THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, INCREASING WESTERLY VERTICAL WIND SHEAR, AND DRY AIR WILL FURTHER DETERIORATE THE VORTEX. 32W IS THEN EXPECTED TO QUICKLY BECOME ABSORBED INTO THE FORMING FRONTAL BOUNDARY NO LATER THAN TAU 72, NEAR OKINAWA. THE WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH FUNG-WONG ARE FORECAST TO WEAKEN, HOWEVER, GALE-FORCE WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE OVERALL FRONTAL BOUNDARY ARE STILL POSSIBLE FOR OKINAWA. MODEL DISCUSSION: NUMERICAL MODEL GUIDANCE IS IN GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH TAU 48 WITH A CROSS-TRACK SPREAD OF AROUND 80 NM. AFTER TAU 48, MODELS RAPIDLY BEGIN TO DIVERGE WITH DIFFERING REACTIONS TO THE INTERACTION WITH THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. SOME MODELS TURN THE SYSTEM TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST WHILE OTHERS CONTINUE ON AN EAST-NORTHEASTWARD TRACK. THE JTWC TRACK FORECAST IS PLACED CLOSE TO THE MULTI-MODEL CONSENSUS THROUGH TAU 72 WITH MEDIUM CONFIDENCE. INTENSITY GUIDANCE AGREES ON WEAKENING THROUGH TAU 36, BUT THEN DISAGREES AFTERWARD. SOME MODELS DEPICT CONSISTENT WEAKENING WHILE OTHERS MAINTAIN AROUND 40 KTS THROUGH TAU 60, LIKELY ACCOUNTING FOR THE BACKGROUND SURGE FLOW. THE JTWC INTENSITY FORECAST CALLS FOR CONSISTENT WEAKENING IN AN ATTEMPT TO ACCOUNT FOR WINDS ASSOCIATED PRIMARILY WITH 32W. THE DISAGREEMENT AFTER LANDFALL IN TAIWAN CAUSES THERE TO BE LOW CONFIDENCE IN THE JTWC INTENSITY FORECAST. FORECAST CONFIDENCE: TRACK 00-72 HR: MEDIUM INTENSITY 00-72 HR: LOW// NNNN