Western Pacific Cyclone 'Choi-Wan' has organized and intensified today sufficiently to be upgraded to Typhoon (Hurricane) status, and is on it's way to becoming a Major Typhoon with a forecast peak intensity of 115 Knots or 135 mph.

(Post Note: Typhoon Choi-Wan has strengthened to 75 Kts. within the past hour or so as I write.)

Here's a recent Passive Microwave Image of Typhoon 'Choi-Wan' showing the eyewall structure continuing to improve.

Choi-Wan's projected path takes it to the north of Saipan, so it appears that Guam will not experience the eyewall and will be on the southern, 'weaker' side of the typhoon.

Animated Color IR Loop of Western Pacific

(Click Repeatedly to Zoom In and Click and Drag to Pan Around)

Also, the typhoon is now beginning to show up on long-range doppler radar out of Andersen Air Force Base, and the coming hours should continue to depict the ongoing developments in the inner core convection (eyewall) more clearly as 'Choi-Wan' slowly approaches Saipan.

Long-Range Doppler from Guam
(Note: This is a 'real-time' link, showing the latest imagery)

(I like to UNCHECK everything EXCEPT 'Radar' and 'Counties', click the 'Rock' button ONCE so it shows 'Loop', and bump up the Animation Speed just a little. (Click Repeatedly to Zoom In and Click and Drag to Pan Around.) Somehow, this makes easier to perceive ongoing changes in the storms' structure.)

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As an aside, I believe that this cyclone is the "Regenerated" Eastern Pacific Cyclone 'HILDA', which was sheared apart in the Central Pacific a little more than a week ago, with the remnant low passing just south of the Big Island.

As is often the case, decayed or 'failed' cyclones that maintain a vigorous low and/or mid-level circulation upon crossing the International Date Line and into the Western Pacific will find very warm waters with *plenty* of 'Oceanic Heat Content' available and, when the upper atmospheric flow becomes favorable, this pre-existing disturbance will often develop into a 'new' tropical cyclone, one bearing a new name from the list of storm names for the Western Pacific .

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Will be posting more on Typhoon Choi-Wan as it passes through and to the west of the Mariana Islands.