Typhoon Noul (Dodong) Moving Away From Yap, Will Threaten Philippines (FORECAST)

Jon Erdman
Published: May 6,2015



 
Typhoon Noul brought strong winds and heavy rain to Yap Island Tuesday and Wednesday, local time. Winds gusted up to 68 mph at Yap International Airport, and more than 10 inches of rain was reported.

Infrared Satellite Image

Noul, the western Pacific basin's sixth named tropical cyclone of the year, will now continue to move west-northwest in the western Pacific Ocean on a path that may take it near or over the northern Philippines this weekend.
Steady strengthening is forecast by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, and Noul could potentially reach Category 4 equivalent (131 mph) late this week into the weekend.

Latest forecast path and intensity of center of Noul from the U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Circles denote uncertainty in location of center at each forecast time period.

Some uncertainty remains in the exact future track of Noul, known as "Dodong" in the Philippines, which will dictate impacts there.
As Noul nears the Philippines, it will begin to move in a more northwest direction. If this turn is sharper and occurs sooner, wind impacts in the northern Philippines would be less. A later turn would allow the center of Noul to move near or make landfall on Luzon Island in the northern Philippines. This would result in a greater threat for strong, damaging winds.
That said, in both of these scenarios, heavy rain and flooding would be possible in the northern Philippines along with large, battering waves. Peak impacts from Noul would be this weekend in the Philippines.
(FORECAST: Manila, Philippines)
After passing near the Philippines, Noul could bring some impacts to both Taiwan and Okinawa early next week as it moves northward.
Western Pacific tropical cyclones, known as typhoons when they reach hurricane-equivalent status, can form any time of year.
Owing partially to this year-round calendar of potential development, roughly one-third of all the Earth's tropical cyclones form in the western Pacific Basin. On average, 25 tropical cyclones form each year in the western Pacific Basin, with 15-16 of those strengthening to Category 1 equivalent typhoons.
(MORE: Hurricane Central | Tropical Update)
Check back with us at weather.com and The Weather Channel for the latest on this latest western Pacific tropical cyclone.

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