Two typhoons roil over the Pacific, captured in a spectacular satellite photo, but only Typhoon Goni is projected to make landfall, clipping the Philippines, Taiwan and then possibly striking southern Japan.
Super Typhoon Atsani, though more powerful, with winds of 155 mph gusting to 186 mph, is forecast to spin over open waters, curving east, well south of Japan, said CNN Meteorologist Brandon Miller.
The northern extremes of the Philippines are already feeling the windy wrath of Goni, whose gales were blowing at 133 mph with gusts of 161 mph, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Goni is now about 90 miles from the northeast tip of Luzon in the Philippines.
Goni is expected to exacerbate monsoons in the Philippines and may dump heavy rain over Manila and western Luzon, Miller said.
Goni is then expected to stay east of Taiwan, but tropical force winds and rough surf will pummel the eastern portion of the island over the weekend. The storm will then move over the Japanese Ryuku Islands, including a near pass to Okinawa on Monday and could reach southern mainland Japan on Tuesday, but as a weaker typhoon, Miller said.
