A new tropical depression has formed over the open waters of the West Pacific, that could impact the Olympic games next week.
Tropical Depression Nepartak has formed about 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) southeast of Japan, currently has maximum sustained winds of 55 kph (35 mph), according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
The forecast track from the JTWC brings the storm to mainland Japan by Tuesday, with Tokyo in the forecast cone.
Nepartak is currently classified as a subtropical cyclone and is expected to remain subtropical through its forecast period. This means the strongest winds consolidated near the center of the storm, and also can extend farther out from the center.
The storm is expected to strengthen over the coming days, reaching tropical storm intensity this weekend. By Sunday night local time, its winds are expected to peak at 95 kph (60 mph) before gradually weakening again.
Nepartak is expected to impact parts of mainland Japan by Tuesday, including the Tokyo area where the Olympics are taking place. Maximum winds are expected to be around 75 kph (45 mph) when it reaches Japan.
There remains a high amount of uncertainty with the forecast by early next week, the JTWC notes in its discussion, in terms of where it affects Japan and the strength of then winds.
