Super Typhoon Haishen is approaching western Japan and Korean Peninsula, bringing dangerous waves, heavy rainfall, and high winds. CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam has the updates.

Typhoon Haishen is now exploding and on its way to becoming a high-end Category 4 storm on Friday

Soon after a damaging typhoon Maysak landfall in South Korea, a Typhoon Haishen has literally exploded over the Philippine Sea. It is rapidly intensifying and heading towards Japan’s Kyushu Islands and then towards South Korea. Haishen is expected to reach a high-end Category 4 strength by Thursday night or even a Category 5 strength by Friday.

Typhoon Haishen is rapidly gathering strength over very warm waters south of Japan. The powerful storm is expected to approach the southwestern part of the country sometime on Sunday and Monday. It could be devastating for Kyushu Islands. Haishen will be passing close to the Daito Islands in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa.

Typhoon Haishen is likely to resume its rapid intensification and is expected to become a Super Typhoon, potentially with near or even higher winds than 130 knots (150 mph).

That is a high-end Category 4 or even a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale over the net 36-48 hours.

Advanced Dvorak Technique (ADT) estimates are indicating that Haishen is becoming a very powerful and large typhoon. Its tropical-storm-force 50-knot winds are spread across the 80-100 mile radii. It already has 40-60 miles radii of hurricane-force 64-knot winds. The wind field is growing.

The intensity analysis has a very nice example of a strengthening system, including its eyewall replacement cycles. One of them occurred on Wednesday from 00-06 UTC. Another one occurred today, roughly between 06-12 UTC when the intensity curve flattens.

After the last cycle, Hainsen’s strength literally exploded and is now nearing 110 knots of sustained wind speeds!

Satellite imagery reveals a classic ‘cinnamon roll’ appearance of the typhoon.

Near-record hot ocean waters

Haishen is expected to take a more easterly track than Maysak. This means is will mostly avoid the cold wake left by typhoon Maysak, therefore it remains over extremely warm, near-record hot waters for most of its lifecycle.

30-31 °C is spread across the whole western Pacific and especially warm to the south of Japan. Right where Haishen will be moving.

Typhoon should track across the extremely favorable oceanic conditions for the next 72 hours. Also, low wind shear is present ahead of the Haishen until the weekend, allowing it to continue rapidly strengthening.

Storms fueling the typhoon’s strength with these very hot, near-record values of ocean waters and moist mid-level atmosphere, should support further rapid intensification.

Forecast track for Haishen

Haishen is forecast to track generally northwest for another 24 hours, then taking a more north-northwest route towards Kyushu Islands. Still, the majority of the ensemble models is tracking Haishen towards Kyushu, or very near its western coast. Nevertheless, it will be devastating for the region.