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Typhoon Prapiroon (Florita)
	Prapiroon shortly before peak intensity north of Ryukyu Islands on July 2
Meteorological history
Formed	June 28, 2018
Extratropical	July 4, 2018
Dissipated	July 5, 2018
Typhoon
	10-minute sustained (JMA)
Highest winds	120 km/h (75 mph)
Lowest pressure	960 hPa (mbar); 28.35 inHg
Category 1-equivalent typhoon
	1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC)
Highest winds	150 km/h (90 mph)
Lowest pressure	960 hPa (mbar); 28.35 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities	4
Damage	$10.1 million (2018 USD)
Areas affected	Japan, Korean Peninsula
	IBTrACS
	Part of the 2018 Pacific typhoon season

Typhoon Prapiroon (Thai: พระพิรุณ), known in the Philippines as Severe Tropical Storm Florita, was a Category 1 typhoon that worsened the floods in Japan and also caused impacts in neighboring South Korea. The storm formed from an area of low pressure near the Philippines and strengthened to a typhoon before entering the Sea of Japan. The seventh named storm and the first typhoon of the annual annual typhoon season. Prapiroon originated from a low-pressure area far off the coast of Northern Luzon on June 28. Tracking westwards, it rapidly upgraded into a tropical storm, receiving the name Prapiroon due to favorable conditions in the Philippine Sea on the next day.

Prapiroon had a good upper-level flow despite the presence of dry air, which typically hindered its development. The tropical storm shifted more northwestward heading towards the Ryukyu Islands. JMA upgraded into a severe tropical storm on July 1 and left PAR on that day also. As it moves towards Japan, Prapiroon crosses through the island of Kume in the Ryukyu Islands. Prapiroon later further intensified as a category-1 typhoon. Shortly after reaching peak intensity, Prapiroon weakened into a tropical storm after passing closely between Japan and the Korean Peninsula. It then turned extratropical on July 5 before dissipating on the following day.

Meteorological history

On June 27 at 20:00 UTC, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) began monitoring a system in the Philippine Sea, giving it a low development potential.^[1] The next day at 00:00 UTC, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) began issuing advisories on a tropical depression,^[2] with the JTWC upgrading its development potential to medium at 00:30 UTC.^[1] The depression continued over favorable conditions as it was steered by a mid-level subtropical high-pressure area,^[3] and on the same day at 12:00 UTC, the JTWC began issuing warnings on Tropical Depression 09W.^[1] At 18:00 UTC, the PAGASA began issuing warnings on the tropical depression,^[4] giving it the local name Florita 3 hours later at 21:00 UTC.^[5]

On June 29 at 00:00 UTC, the JMA upgraded the depression to a tropical storm, giving it the name Prapiroon. Prapiroon had good upper-level outflow, though dry air present in the area negatively affected its development.^[6] At 03:00 UTC the same day, the JTWC upgraded Prapiroon to a tropical storm as it was located approximately 440 nautical miles (815 km; 505 mi) south-southeast of Kadena Air Base.^[7] Prapiroon then turned to the northwest,^[8] and on July 1 at 00:00 UTC, the JMA upgraded Prapiroon to a severe tropical storm.^[9] On the same day at 06:00 UTC, the PAGASA issued its final warning on Prapiroon as it exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility.^[10] Later that day, a ragged eye became apparent,^[11] and at 21:00 UTC, the JTWC upgraded Prapiroon to a typhoon.^[12] Prapiroon continued developing aided by favorable conditions, and on July 2 at 00:00 UTC, the JMA upgraded Prapiroon to a typhoon.^[13] At 18:00 UTC the same day, both the JMA and the JTWC assessed that Prapiroon had peaked in intensity, with 10-min winds of 65 knots (120 km/h; 75 mph), 1-min winds of 80 knots (150 km/h; 90 mph), and a minimum central pressure of 960 hectopascals (28 inHg).^[14]^[15] After peaking, Prapiroon began to weaken and turn to the northeast, with the JMA downgrading it to a severe tropical storm on July 3 at 06:00 UTC as conditions for development became unfavorable.^[16] The JTWC downgraded Prapiroon to a tropical storm at 15:00 UTC as its low-level circulation became exposed, with central convection becoming elongated.^[17] Prapiroon's western semicircle became completely devoid of deep convection,^[18] and by July 4 at 00:00 UTC, the JMA further downgraded it to a tropical storm.^[19] The JMA later issued its final advisory on Prapiroon at 06:00 UTC as it became extratropical,^[20]^[14] with the JTWC doing so later at 15:00 UTC.^[21] Prapiroon's extratropical remnants dissipated just south of Hokkaido the next day.^[14]

Impact

Japan

Five people were injured by the winds from the typhoon.^[22] A woman was blown away by the strong winds of the typhoon and died at a hospital she was sent to later.^[23] The typhoon also caused damages on Old Gorin Church, which as designated as heritage site four days prior, and caused damages to the stained glass in Kuroshima Catholic Church.^[24] Agricultural damage in Okinawa Prefecture were about ¥49.39 million (US$446,000).^[25]