The Tropical Season in the Pacific is Heating up

The Tropical Pacific has been unusually quiet over the past…well, several months. The western Pacific has tropical systems form and roll generally throughout the year, but they hadn’t had a tropical system since December. That is anomalously rare.

The tropical season began in a hurry here in the Atlantic, but the storms were weak. There’d been nothing in the eastern Pacific until this past weekend, when the first two named storms of the season formed quickly out there. Tropical storm Agatha formed on Friday evening, but was fairly weak and never really organized. Thus, it became a remnant low last evening.

However, Hurricane Blas is different. Hurricane Blas formed Saturday evening, and has been intensifying ever since. Hurricane Blas has been very organized, and is now showing a very well defined eye at the center of the circulation. This is the key feature in a hurricane, and it indicates that the storm is of fairly good strength. The eye is not completely cleared out, but once it begins to get more solid and clear, watch for Blas to strengthen even more.

Visible satellite imagery for Hurricane Blas today. h/t NHC
Visible satellite imagery for Hurricane Blas today. h/t NHC

Blas is forecast to continue strengthening over the next few days, and the NHC expects it to be a 140 mph storm by tomorrow morning.

The forecast track for Blas from the NHC. h/t NHC
The forecast track for Blas from the NHC. h/t NHC

The system over the western Pacific is now a Typhoon, and is a very intense one at that. It is rapidly intensifying, as Blas is, and is moving northwestward towards southeastern China. It is currently estimated to have sustained winds of 140 mph, and is forecast to get up to 160 mph winds, which is Category 5 strength in the Atlantic and the eastern Pacific.

h/t http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/160705_himawari8_infrared_Typhoon_Nepartak_anim.gif

It is forecast to make landfall with winds of 110 mph, but it could be higher or lower depending on the cycles that it runs through over the next few days. Either way, the Tropical Pacific is heating up quickly.