Super Typhoon Francisco

Even though the Atlantic Basin is very quiet, that is not the case in the western Pacific. There are several tropical systems in the region, but the main storm that has everyone’s attention is Francisco. Francisco is a super typhoon which is the equivalent of a category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic. Sustained winds in Francisco are 160 mph with gust to 195 mph. This is a dangerous storm and very healthy looking as it has the classic buzz saw look of a very symmetrical storm. Francisco is expected to maintain this intensity for the next day or so as it continues a northwest track towards Japan. The system is expected to begin to weaken as it moves over cooler waters, but just like Typhoon Phailin last week, it will likely cause problems for the Japanese mainland early next week.

Category: Tropical