Super Typhoon Maria is churning through the western Pacific Ocean, and, while expected to weaken somewhat beforehand, poses a danger of a Str0ng typhoon strike in Japan's far southwesternmost islands, Taiwan and eastern China early this week.
Maria strengthened into a
Category 5 equivalent system for the second time in its existence Sunday morning U.S. time while centered several hundred miles southeast of Okinawa. The super typhoon's first stint as a Category 5 was late last week, when it had one of the fastest tropical-storm-to-Category-5 intensification rates on record.
By later Monday or Tuesday, conditions will become less favorable, as Maria is expected to begin encountering some increased wind shear and somewhat lower ocean-heat content, which should induce steady weakening.
However, given its current intensity and a building upper-level ridge of high pressure, Maria still may be formidably Str0ng as it tracks toward Japan's southernmost Ryukyu Islands, northern Taiwan and eastern China.
At this time, it appears the core of Maria's worst impacts will stay south of the United States' Kadena Air Base in Okinawa. Some bands of heavy rain and gusty winds could still occur there, however.
Maria may directly impact Taipei in northern Taiwan with damaging winds and heavy rain, but that will depend on the exact track of the typhoon. Once Maria reaches eastern China, the center should track inland well south of Shanghai.
Heavy rain could cause flooding and mudslides along the path of Maria.
Damaging winds and storm-surge inundation are also likely impacts near where the center of Maria tracks.
Here's the general timing of the worst impacts from Maria using local time (these areas are 12 to 13 hours ahead of U.S. EDT):
- Japan's Southern Ryukyu Islands: Tuesday
- Northern Taiwan, including Taipei: Late Tuesday to early Wednesday
- Eastern China: Wednesday
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