WDPN31 PGTW 090300 MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI// SUBJ/PROGNOSTIC REASONING FOR TYPHOON 12W (DOLPHIN) WARNING NR 053// RMKS/ 1. FOR METEOROLOGISTS. 2. 6 HOUR SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS. SUMMARY: INITIAL POSITION: 27.8N 123.2E INITIAL INTENSITY: 70 KTS GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: 186 NM NORTH-NORTHEAST OF TAIPEI, TAIWAN MOVEMENT PAST 6 HOURS: NORTHWESTWARD AT 09 KTS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT: 31 FEET SATELLITE ANALYSIS, INITIAL POSITION AND INTENSITY DISCUSSION: ANIMATED MULTISPECTRAL SATELLITE IMAGERY (MSI) DEPICTS TYPHOON 12W (DOLPHIN) WITH A COMPACT CENTRAL CORE AND ONLY A DIMPLE OF A CLOUD- FILLED EYE REMAINING AS IT BEGINS ITS TERMINAL WEAKENING JUST PRIOR TO LANDFALL. MUCH OF THE WESTERN FLANK OF THE MASSIVE SYSTEM HAS ALREADY MADE LANDFALL OVER CHINA, WHILE THE CONVECTIVE BANDING THAT REMAINS OVER WATER HAS MAINTAINED ITS STRUCTURE WITH A RADIUS OF OVER 250 NM FROM THE CENTER, ONLY DISRUPTED BY A PARTIAL MOAT OF DRY AIR JUST OUTSIDE THE CORE EYEWALL. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE DRY AIR ENTRAINMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS REVEALS OTHERWISE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS OF WARM (29-30 C) SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES, LOW (5-10 KTS) VERTICAL WIND SHEAR (VWS), AND GOOD OUTFLOW ALOFT. THE INITIAL POSITION IS ASSESSED WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE BASED ON MSI IMAGERY AND EXTRAPOLATION FROM THE MICROWAVE EYE VISIBLE IN A 082218Z MWI 89 GHZ MICROWAVE IMAGE. THE INITIAL INTENSITY IS ASSESSED WITH MEDIUM CONFIDENCE BASED ON THE SPREAD OF AGENCY DVORAK FIXES AND CIMSS OBJECTIVE ESTIMATES LISTED BELOW, OPTING TO DECREASE THE INTENSITY AS THE APPEARANCE ON SATELLITE IMAGERY HAS DETERIORATED. INITIAL WIND RADII BASIS: PERSISTENCE CURRENT STEERING MECHANISM: SUBTROPICAL RIDGE (STR) CENTERED OVER SOUTHERN HONSHU AGENCY DVORAK AND AUTOMATED FIXES: PGTW: T4.5 - 77 KTS RJTD: T5.0 - 90 KTS RCTP: T4.0 - 65 KTS KNES: T5.0 - 90 KTS CIMSS ADT: 59 KTS AT 082300Z CIMSS AIDT: 66 KTS AT 082300Z CIMSS D-MINT: 91 KTS AT 082027Z CIMSS D-PRINT: 75 KTS AT 082300Z FORECASTER ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT ENVIRONMENT: MARGINALLY FAVORABLE VWS: 5-10 KTS SST: 29-30 CELSIUS OUTFLOW: STRONG RADIAL OTHER FACTORS: WEAK DRY AIR ENTRAINMENT ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE: INITIAL POSITION: HIGH INITIAL INTENSITY: MEDIUM INITIAL WIND RADII: LOW 3. FORECAST REASONING. SIGNIFICANT FORECAST CHANGES: THERE ARE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE FORECAST FROM THE PREVIOUS WARNING. FORECAST DISCUSSION: TY 12W IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE ITS WESTWARD TRACK, WITH LANDFALL OVER MAINLAND CHINA EXPECTED TO OCCUR AT TAU 12. AFTER TAU 24, A POLEWARD TURN IS EXPECTED AS TY 12W WILL REMAIN UNDER THE STEERING INFLUENCE OF THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE (STR) CENTERED OVER SOUTHERN HONSHU, WHICH IS FORECAST TO BUILD AND EXTEND SOUTHWARD, PULLING TY 12W NORTHWESTWARD. IN REGARDS TO INTENSITY, A PARTIAL MOAT OF DRY AIR HAS PERSISTED JUST OUTSIDE THE COMPACT CORE, CONTRIBUTING TO THE FORECAST WEAKENING TREND OF TY 12W PRIOR TO LANDFALL. AFTER LANDFALL, THE INTENSITY WILL RAPIDLY DECREASE AS TY 12W INTERACTS WITH THE TERRAIN, ULTIMATELY DISSIPATING OVER EASTERN CHINA BY TAU 60. MODEL DISCUSSION: TRACK MODEL GUIDANCE IS IN GOOD AGREEMENT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GFS, WHICH REMAINS AN OUTLIER DISPLACED TO THE SOUTH. THE OFFICIAL JTWC TRACK IS PLACED WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD, HEDGING CLOSER TO THE JTWC AI CONSENSUS TO ACCOUNT FOR THE EFFECT OF GFS WITHIN THE MULTI-MODEL CONSENSUS. INTENSITY GUIDANCE IS ALSO IN GOOD AGREEMENT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD WITH HWRF COMING INTO BETTER AGREEMENT AND ALL MODELS DEPICTING THE SHARP DECREASE AS SOON AS LANDFALL OCCURS. THE OFFICIAL JTWC FORECAST IS ASSESSED WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. FORECAST CONFIDENCE: TRACK 00-72 HR: HIGH INTENSITY 00-72 HR: HIGH// NNNN