image: This infrared image from NASA's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument on the Aqua satellite showed some high cold (purple) thunderstorms in Tropical Depression 02W. view more
Credit: NASA JPL, Ed Olsen
The second tropical depression of the northwestern Pacific tropical cyclone season has formed and is currently located about 235 miles east-southeast of Yap, Micronesia. NASA's Aqua satellite captured infrared, microwave and visible images of Tropical Depression 02W (TD 02W) early this morning.
When NASA's Aqua satellite flew over TD 02W this morning, Monday, March 22 at 0405 UTC (12:05 a.m. EDT), infrared imagery showed a large area of strong convection in the storm's center, where thunderstorm cloud tops were highest. Those cloud top temperatures were colder than -63 degrees Fahrenheit, indicating strong thunderstorms with moderate to heavy rainfall.
By 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC or 1 a.m. local time) today, TD 02W had maximum sustained winds near 35 mph (30 knots) and was near 8.4 degrees North latitude and 141.4 degrees East longitude. TD 02W is about 100 miles southeast of Fais, 150 miles east-southeast of Ulithi and 235 miles east-southeast of Yap. It was moving northwest near 10 mph (9 knots), and generating 10-foot high waves.
A tropical storm warning remains in effect for Yap: Fais and Ulithi in Yap State. The tropical storm watch for Ngulu in Yap state and Kayangel in the Republic of Palau has been cancelled. TD 02W is forecast to pass between Yap and Ulithi late this afternoon (local time). Tropical depression 02W is expected to slowly intensify...and be a minimal tropical storm by the time it reaches Yap and Ulithi.
Rising seas generated by TD 02W's winds will cause high surf across the Republic of Palau and Yap State through Wednesday, March 24.
Updates can be obtained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Forecast Office in Guam at: http://www.prh.noaa.gov/guam/