WDPN32 PGTW 180300 MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI// SUBJ/PROGNOSTIC REASONING FOR TYPHOON 09W (RAMMASUN) WARNING NR 31// RMKS/ 1. FOR METEOROLOGISTS. 2. 6 HOUR SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS. TYPHOON 09W (RAMMASUN), LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 220 NM SOUTH- SOUTHWEST OF HONG KONG, HAS TRACKED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AT 12 KNOTS OVER THE PAST SIX HOURS. ANIMATED MULTISPECTRAL (MSI) AND ENHANCED INFRARED SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOW THE EYE HAS IMPROVED ORGANIZATION WITH A SMALL INCREASE IN COLD CLOUD TOPS. DVORAKS HAVE BEEN STEADY OVER THE PAST SIX HOURS BUT DUE TO THE SLIGHT IMPROVEMENTS, THE CURRENT INTENSITY HAS BEEN INCREASED TO 125 KNOTS. UPPER LEVEL ANALYSIS SHOWS A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT CHARACTERIZED BY VIGOROUS EQUATORWARD OUTFLOW AND LOW (05 TO 10 KNOTS) VERTICAL WIND SHEAR. THE INITIAL POSITION IS BASED UPON THE DEFINED EYE FEATURE IN THE MSI LOOP WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE. TY 09W IS STEADILY TRACKING WEST- NORTHWEST ALONG THE SOUTHWESTERN PERIPHERY OF THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE (STR) NORTHEAST OF THE SYSTEM. 3. FORECAST REASONING. A. NO CHANGE TO FORECAST PHILOSOPHY SINCE THE PREVIOUS PROGNOSTIC REASONING MESSAGE. B. TY 09W IS FORECAST TO REMAIN ON A GENERALLY WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TRACK THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST AS THE STR PERSISTS TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE SYSTEM. TY 09W IS EXPECTED TO STRENGTHEN FOR THE NEXT SIX HOURS BEFORE THE FRICTIONAL EFFECTS OF HAINAN ISLAND BEGIN TO WEAKEN THE SYSTEM. WEAKENING WILL PERSIST AFTER TRACKING OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF HAINAN ISLAND AND AS THE SYSTEM BEGINS TO INTERACT WITH THE LUICHOW PENINSULA. ONCE TY 09W MAKES LANDFALL IN THE BORDER REGION OF NORTHERN VIETNAM AND SOUTHERN CHINA, A RAPID WEAKENING WITH COMPLETE DISSIPATION OF THE TROPICAL SYSTEM IS EXPECTED BY TAU 48. NUMERIC MODEL GUIDANCE IS IN VERY TIGHT AGREEMENT WITH THE TRACK FORECAST, WHICH IS POSITIONED WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE, CLOSE TO THE MULTI-MODEL CONSENSUS.// NNNN