On September 21 at 00:00 UTC, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) began tracking a tropical depression at 22°N 141°E, far east of the Philippine Sea.[1] The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) also began tracking the disturbance later on as the system slowly moved eastwards, deeper into the Pacific Ocean. Analysis from the JTWC indicated that the system was in a favorable environment for development, with warm sea surface temperatures, low vertical wind shear, and medium radial outflow.[2] The agency began issuing a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert for the disturbance shortly after.[3] The system slowly consolidated as it moved eastward and was designated as Tropical Depression 18W by JTWC on September 22.[4] Around the same time, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) noted the system's formation into a tropical depression. As a system formed within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), it was immediately given the local name Karding, and the agency began releasing bulletins on the storm.[5] Shortly after, the JMA also recognized the system as a tropical depression.[6] After a lack of steering flow stalled the depression, it began tracking westward along a mid-level subtropical high, maintaining its intensity as it failed to consolidate further despite its favorable environment.[7][8] Despite this, the JTWC and the PAGASA would upgrade the depression to a tropical storm at 09:00 UTC.[9][10] The JMA would later upgrade the depression to a storm a day later, on September 23, and was subsequently named Noru.[11] Up until this point, forecasts from all three agencies expected wind speeds of only up to 55 knots (100 km/h; 65 mph); the JTWC further cited a weak upper-level outflow and dry air as hindrances to rapid intensification.[12][13][14] Typhoon Noru undergoing a period of rapid intensification while approaching Luzon on September 24 On September 24, the JMA assessed the storm's development into a severe tropical storm.[15] The PAGASA also upgraded the storm shortly after.[16] Satellite imagery now showed a deep convective core with a central dense overcast and cloud tops reaching −82 °C (−116 °F), with animated infrared imagery showing bursts of convection along the circulation center. The environment around the storm were now very favorable for further development.[17] Intensifying 20 knots (35 km/h; 25 mph) in the course of 12 hours, the JMA and the PAGASA upgraded the storm into a typhoon by 12:00 UTC; the JTWC following shortly after as Noru's eye began to form.[18][19][20] Under very favorable conditions for development, Noru continued its trend of rapid intensification, reaching its peak intensity of 95 knots (175 km/h; 110 mph) 10-minute maximum sustained winds with a minimum central barometric pressure at 940 hectopascals (940 mbar; 28 inHg) by 00:00 UTC on September 25, a mere 230 kilometres (140 mi) east of Infanta, Quezon.[21] Given its intensity, the PAGASA upgraded the system to its classification of super typhoon; the JTWC had also done the same three hours prior.[22][23] At 15:30 PHT (09:30 UTC), the typhoon made its first landfall over the Polillo Islands in the municipality of Burdeos, Quezon.[24] Following interaction with land over the Polillo Islands, the PAGASA downgraded the system to a high-end typhoon, just prior to its second landfall over Dingalan, Aurora at 20:20 PHT (12:20 UTC).[25] Now tracking westward over Central Luzon, Noru weakened further as it interacted with land and the rugged terrain of the Sierra Madre mountain range; the eye of the system later disappeared from multispectral satellite imaging.[26][27] Noru emerged over the coastal waters of Zambales at 05:00 PHT, September 26 (21:00 UTC, September 25) as a Category 2-equivalent typhoon.[28][27] As the typhoon re-entered the South China Sea, it was met with a neutral environment for development, but was able to re-consolidate and form a 17 nautical miles (31 km; 20 mi) eye.[29][30] Noru left the PAR at 20:00 PHT (12:00 UTC) and subsequently the PAGASA ceased issuing bulletins for the typhoon.[31] Returning to favorable conditions over the South China Sea, Noru re-intensified to a Category 4-equivalent typhoon on September 27, reaching 10-minute maximum sustained winds of 155 km/h (100 mph).[32][33] Interaction with the land on the Vietnam coast and easterly wind shear slightly weakened the typhoon prior to landfall.[34][35] At 21:00 UTC, the cyclone made landfall just south of Da Nang, Vietnam; the JTWC released its final warning on the storm shortly after.[36] Noru rapidly weakened as it moved westward and further inland, weakening to a tropical storm by 06:00 UTC, September 28.[37][38][39] The JMA downgraded the storm to a tropical depression later that same day, and ceased advisories for the storm.[40] The storm tracked further westward as a tropical depression and dissipated on September 30, 06:00 UTC.[41][42]
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