March 18, 2016 
NWPAC outlook, 18 MAR
A return of cooler air begins in the north, as the central region sees a continuation of springtime warmth. Dangerous heat builds in the south while the tropics remain benign.
NORTH
Cooler air continues to move into the north region today, the start of a general cool-down that will take place across the region over the next 7 days. A complex series of storm systems are gathering together along the leading cold air boundary in eastern China and Korea, poised to move across Japan as we roll through the next 24 hours. This series of systems will bring clouds and showers to portions of eastern China today, and into Japan tonight and tomorrow, and will help lower temperatures slightly in these locations. A slightly cooler air mass is poised over northern China and Mongolia, and will move through the entire region by the middle of next week, bringing temperatures down to more seasonable levels.
| City | High Temp C (F) | Low Temp C (F) | Conditions |
| Ulaanbaatar | 5 (41) | -11 (12) | Mostly Cloudy |
| Vladivostok | 9 (48) | -2 (28) | Partly Cloudy |
| Beijing | 21 (70) | 3 (37) | Fair |
| Seoul | 19 (66) | 5 (41) | Decreasing Clouds |
| Tokyo | 19 (66) | 14 (57) | Increasing Clouds |
| Xi’an | 26 (79) | 8 (46) | Fair |
| Shanghai | 21 (70) | 12 (54) | Scattered Showers |
CENTRAL
Eastern locales within the central region will see considerable cloudiness, showers, and even a few thunderstorms across Taiwan, as the leading edge of a frontal system to the north spawns a weak storm system over eastern China. This storm will progress to the northeast, and drag a weak boundary down through these locales today, providing some lift to the available moisture. The central region will see temperatures remain warm for the next several days, before a pool of cooler air to the north slides southward through the region next week.
| City | High Temp C (F) | Low Temp C (F) | Conditions |
| Kunming | 24 (75) | 10 (50) | Partly Cloudy |
| Hong Kong | 22 (72) | 18 (64) | Fog & Showers |
| Taipei | 28 (82) | 19 (66) | Sct. Thunderstorms |
| Iwo To | 15 (59) | 12 (54) | Partly Cloudy |
| Hanoi | 28 (82) | 21 (70) | Partly Cloudy |
SOUTH
Dangerous heat is building over the south region, and will continue to do so for the next 7 days. Although the average temperature of the region will be slightly lower today, at just below 34C (93F), temperatures are more consistent across the region, which means the heat is on for many more locations. Advance outlooks into next week show regional temperatures to average near 36C (97F) next week, as the sun’s noontime daily overhead angle begins to approach 90 degrees following the equinox on the 20th. Portions of interior Indochina will see a few scattered thunderstorms today, and Singapore will see some rainfall as well as moisture slides through. The rest of the south region will see intense, bright sunshine with just a few scattered clouds.
| City | High Temp C (F) | Low Temp C (F) | Conditions |
| Siem Reap | 35 (95) | 26 (79) | Sct. Thunderstorms |
| Ho Chi Minh | 33 (91) | 24 (75) | Partly Cloudy |
| Manila | 34 (93) | 23 (73) | Partly Cloudy |
| Davao City | 34 (93) | 23 (73) | Fair |
| Brunei | 32 (90) | 26 (79) | Partly Cloudy |
| Singapore | 35 (95) | 26 (79) | Periods of Rain |
TROPICS
Unlike last year, the tropics have been eerily quiet to start 2016, and that looks to continue for the next 7 days. Generally convergent energy is embedded within the weak I.T.C.Z. (Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone) throughout the region, but nothing even remotely organized is being observed. Wake Island and the Marianas are still seeing periods of continental energy affect these locales, with cooler temperatures and occasional showers. The rest of the region will see great weather, with plenty of sunshine.
| City | High Temp C (F) | Low Temp C (F) | Conditions |
| Guam | 27 (81) | 23 (73) | PM Showers |
| Yap | 33 (91) | 24 (75) | Partly Cloudy |
| Palau | 33 (91) | 24 (75) | Partly Cloudy |
| Chuuk | 31 (88) | 26 (79) | Partly Cloudy |
| Pohnpei | 31 (88) | 26 (79) | Partly Cloudy |
| Majuro | 29 (84) | 27 (81) | Ptly Cloudy & Windy |
| Wake | 26 (79) | 23 (73) | Increasing Clouds |
Have a far-out Friday!
Courtesy: CIMSS, HKO, Tropical Tidbits, Intellicast, Weather.com, MeteoEarth
