Typhoon Wayne (1986) - Meteorological History

Meteorological History

This system began its long life on August 16 in the South China Sea, having formed within the monsoon trough. It drifted to the southwest, then looped back to the northwest, becoming a tropical storm on August 18. Wayne, which remained embedded in the monsoon trough throughout its lifetime, turned to the northeast in response to a relocation of the trough, and became a typhoon according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) on August 19, and on August 20 according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). At 2 p.m. that day, the ship M. V. Fossarus recorded 78 knots (144 km/h) winds just west of its center. The typhoon came close but remained offshore of southeastern China, and after reaching maximum sustained winds of 75 knots (139 km/h) it hit western Taiwan on August 22. The building subtropical ridge forced Wayne west and southwestward through the Luzon Strait, where after weakening to a tropical storm it restrengthened briefly to a typhoon on August 24, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The JMA did not upgrade Wayne back to a typhoon during this segment of Wayne's existence.

Vertical shear caused Wayne to weaken to a depression on August 25 according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, and August 26 according to the JMA, as the cyclone began to rotate around the circulation of Vera to its north. Tropical Depression Wayne sped up to the northeast, but when Vera moved far enough away, Wayne drifted northeastward through the South China Sea, becoming a tropical storm again on August 27. Ridging to its north forced Wayne southward, where it again became a typhoon on August 30 according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, and August 31 according to the JMA. Wayne passed close to northern Luzon on September 2 as a 75 knots (139 km/h) typhoon, but turned back to the west. The JMA lowered Wayne back to a tropical storm on September 3 before restrengthening the cyclone back into a typhoon by early September 4. On September 4 while moving quickly westward through the South China Sea, Wayne reached a peak of 85 knots (157 km/h) winds according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, or 70 knots (130 km/h) winds according to the JMA, before it weakened due to land interaction. It hit northern Hainan on September 5 as an 70 knots (130 km/h) typhoon. Its center passed just north of Haikou, whose pressure fell to 970.1 hectopascals (28.65 inHg). Wayne then entered the Gulf of Tonkin, and made its final landfall on northern Vietnam later that day as a tropical storm. The next day, Wayne dissipated over Vietnam, after 85 JTWC advisories and being the longest lasting Western Pacific system in history.