


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Tiyan, Guam
Issued by NWS Tiyan, Guam
996 FXPQ50 PGUM 240705 AFDGUM Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tiyan GU 505 PM ChST Sun Aug 24 2025 .Marianas Synopsis... Radar and satellite imagery shows scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms over the Marianas. Altimetry and buoys show combined seas of 2 to 3 feet. Winds are gentle to moderate. && .Discussion... Over the regions, a hint of a weak surface trough interacting with a dash of trade-wind convergence, then, add in a splash of upper- level divergence and you have a recipe for scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms, like what we have seen for today. This concoction of interacting features is expected to remain over the region through tonight. A lull is expected for Monday and Monday evening. This lull will be due to a weak ridge. After this lull, showers are anticipated to return, for the morning and afternoon, for the remainder of the forecast period. && .Marine... Combined seas are anticipated to gradually rise by about a foot by Tuesday. This will cause the surf along east facing reefs to meet the threshold of 5 feet. This will cause the risk of rip currents to become moderate along east facing reefs. There is also a moderate risk of lightning through at least Tuesday. && .Tropical Systems... Invest 93W is currently located right along the far western edge of western Micronesia, near 9N130E. 93W is expected to continue to move west-northwest, exiting the region later this evening. Significant development is not expected east of 130E. && .Eastern Micronesia... The Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is finally becoming more active and spreading across eastern Micronesia as the models were predicting. The ITCZ is currently seen to the south of Majuro, stretching westward, passing north of Kosrae and Pohnpei. A trade- wind trough currently seen between Pohnpei and Kosrae is interacting with the trough to generate numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms to the east of Pohnpei. These showers are approaching Pohnpei, with scattered showers expected to increase to numerous through the evening. Upper-level divergence is also present over the area, helping enhance shower coverage. For Kosrae and Majuro, weak troughs approaching both locations look to enhance convection a bit this evening, though coverage looks to remain scattered since the main convergence band with the ITCZ is found south of Majuro and north of Kosrae. For the most part, an overall unsettled and wet pattern looks to remain over the region for the next several days, though Kosrae and Pohnpei may see a couple short-lived dry periods. No major changes were made to the marine forecast. Seas of 5 to 6 feet at Kosrae and Majuro, and 4 to 5 feet at Pohnpei tonight look to subside a bit by Monday morning. Seas will drop to between 3 and 4 feet for Pohnpei, and 4 to 5 feet for Kosrae and Majuro. Mostly light to gentle winds will continue for Pohnpei and Kosrae, with gentle to moderate winds at Majuro continuing through midweek. && .Western Micronesia... A somewhat unsettled monsoon pattern persists across much of western Micronesia. A monsoon trough extends eastward into the region through a weakening Invest 93W, which sits near the western border of Guam`s Area of Responsibility (AOR) near 9.4N 130.3E. The monsoon trough then extends further east toward a weak disturbance spinning just west of Chuuk Lagoon around roughly 8N148E, but the west to southwest flow south of the trough axis is discontinuous over Yap State between the two circulations. Visible satellite this afternoon shows scattered to numerous showers within the monsoon flow south to southeast of Palau and south of Yap, becoming more numerous near Eauripik in Yap State and across western Chuuk State, where the disturbance near Chuuk is interacting with the eastern extent of the monsoon trough. Numerous showers are also seen along 130E near the center of 93W, with drier conditions seen to the east over Palau and Yap Proper. Invest 93W is expected to keep meandering northwest and exit the region overnight, while fairly dry conditions persist for Palau and Yap this evening. However, increasing convergence within the monsoon trough will build scattered showers across the region overnight, especially near Palau. Palau can expect a wetter monsoon pattern to persist over the next few days with rounds of heavier showers throughout the week. High-end scattered showers (50% Probability of Precipitation (PoP)) may become numerous from time to time this week and locally heavy showers will be possible. However, due to uncertainty in timing and recent model runs overestimating precipitation coverage, the current forecast reflects only up to 50% PoPs for the next few days for Palau. This may change in subsequent forecast packages, but for now the highest rainfall amounts look to be focused further south of Koror. Yap will remain on the drier side of the spectrum but can still expect periods of scattered showers for much of the week. Further east, Chuuk can expect increasing showers through the next day or two as a more robust trough/disturbance crosses the area, followed by a lull in showers around Tuesday. Around Wednesday night, a robust ITCZ-like disturbance looks to build northwest into the area, leading to a much wetter pattern through the latter half of the week. Benign marine conditions continue, with slightly higher seas near Palau as a higher south to southwest swell has moved into the region, associated with the ongoing monsoon pattern. Recent altimetry data indicates combined seas of 3 to 5 feet for much of the region. A slightly stronger pulse of trade swell may increase seas by 1 to 2 feet for Chuuk over the next day or two, before slightly relaxing in the latter half of the week. Gentle to moderate winds will continue across much of the region this week. && .GUM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GU...None. MP...None. Marianas Waters...None. && $$ Marianas: Bowsher East Micronesia: Kleeschulte West Micronesia: DeCou