New 'phoon forming (General)
From JTWC:
B. TROPICAL DISTURBANCE SUMMARY:
(1) AN AREA OF CONVECTION (INVEST 98W) HAS PERSISTED NEAR 8.5N
142.1E, APPROXIMATELY 330 NM SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF GUAM. ANIMATED
MULTISPECTRAL SATELLITE IMAGERY DEPICTS A FULLY-EXPOSED LLCC AS
EVIDENCED BY A 020032Z ASCAT METOP-C BULLSEYE PASS. CONSOLIDATION OF
THE LOW-LEVEL CIRCULATION IS ALSO EVIDENT IN RECENT TOTAL
PRECIPITABLE WATER ANIMATION. THUS FAR, CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT
ASSOCIATED WITH THE DISTURBANCE HAS BEEN MINIMAL. UPPER-LEVEL
ANALYSIS INDICATES 98W IS IN A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT
WITH LOW TO MODERATE (5-10 KNOT) VWS, WARM (29-30C) SEA SURFACE
TEMPERATURES, AND MODERATE DIVERGENCE ALOFT. GLOBAL DETERMINISTIC AND
ENSEMBLE MODELS GENERALLY AGREE THAT THE SYSTEM WILL DEVELOP INTO A
TROPICAL DEPRESSION OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS, ALTHOUGH THERE IS SOME
UNCERTAINTY REGARDING THE TIMELINE AND LOCATION OF FORMATION.
HOWEVER, IT APPEARS LIKELY THAT THE CENTER OF THE CIRCULATION WILL
PASS TO THE WEST OF GUAM, BUT THE EASTERN INFLOW REGION WITH
ASSOCIATED HIGHER WINDS AND CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT COULD AFFECT GUAM
AND THE CNMI IN ABOUT 48 TO 72 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED SURFACE WINDS
ARE ESTIMATED AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS. MINIMUM SEA LEVEL PRESSURE IS
ESTIMATED TO BE NEAR 1009 MB. THE POTENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A
SIGNIFICANT TROPICAL CYCLONE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS IS LOW.
Perhaps I should send them our itinerary.