Typhoon Noru was the second-longest-lasting tropical cyclone of the Northwest Pacific Ocean on record—behind only 1986's Wayne and tied with 1972's Rita—and the second-most-intense tropical cyclone of the basin in 2017, tied with Talim. Forming as the fifth named storm of the annual typhoon season on July 20, Noru further intensified into the first typhoon of the year on July 23. However, Noru began to interact with nearby Tropical Storm Kulap on July 24, executing a counterclockwise loop southeast of Japan. Weakening to a severe tropical storm on July 28, Noru began to restrengthen as it turned sharply to the west on July 30. Amid favorable conditions, Noru rapidly intensified into the season's first super typhoon, and reached peak intensity with annular characteristics on July 31. In early August, Noru underwent a gradual weakening trend while curving northwestwards and then northwards. After stalling off the Satsunan Islands weakening to a severe tropical storm again on August 5, the system began to accelerate northeastwards towards the Kansai region of Japan, making landfall in Wakayama Prefecture on August 7. Noru became extratropical over the Sea of Japan on August 8, and dissipated one day later.
Noru was responsible for two deaths in Kagoshima Prefecture, and at least $100 million (2017 USD) in damages in Japan.
Meteorological history
Origins
A non-tropical low formed about north-northwest of Wake Island at around 00:00 UTC on July 18, 2017, which transitioned into a tropical depression about one day later. In the afternoon of July 19, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) began issuing tropical cyclone warnings on the system, expecting a tropical storm within 24 hours. Although outflow was weak for the partially organized system at that time, low vertical wind shear and sea surface temperature (SST) at 29 °C were conducive to development. Originally retaining some subtropical characteristics, it began transitioning into a fully tropical and warm-core system; therefore, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert to the system early on July 20, when fragmented deep convective bands had wrapped around its broad low-level circulation center (LLCC). A point source positioned over the center also improved outflow aloft. At 12:00 UTC, the system intensified into the fifth Northwest Pacific tropical storm of 2017, which was assigned the international name Noru half a day later by the JMA operationally. Besides, the JTWC upgraded the system to a tropical depression at 21:00 UTC. 12 hours later, the JTWC upgraded Noru to a tropical storm, despite its partially exposed LLCC; at the same time, it started tracking westward along the southwest periphery of the subtropical ridge (STR) positioned to the northeast.
Noru struggled to intensify significantly for two days owing to relatively low ocean heat content values and its asymmetric structure, until it developed into a severe tropical storm at around 18:00 UTC on July 22. Subsequently, Noru slowed down and remained stationary, due to a complex steering environment consisting of ridging on three sides. The steering flow also transitioned from a subtropical ridging to the west to a near equatorial ridge to the south of the system. Noru rapidly intensified into the first typhoon of 2017 around 12:00 UTC on July 23, marking the latest occurrence of the first typhoon since 1998. It featured a diameter pinhole eye that embedded in an extremely compact core located about east of the Bonin Islands, thanks to moderate eastward outflow, anomalously warm SSTs and low vertical wind shear. After that, the eye repeatedly reappeared and filled due to increasing vertical wind shear offset by improving poleward outflow into the upper-low associated with Tropical Storm Kulap. Noru also started to track east-southeastward under the steering influence of a near equatorial ridge to the south.