573  
FXPQ50 PGUM 230809  
AFDGUM  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TIYAN GU  
609 PM CHST WED JUL 23 2025  
   
MARIANAS SYNOPSIS
 
 
SATELLITE AND RADAR IMAGERY ARE SHOWING SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS  
DEVELOPING ACROSS THE MARIANAS AS TROPICAL DISTURBANCE INVEST 98W  
APPROACHES. LOCAL BUOYS AND RECENT ALTIMETRY PASSES ARE INDICATING  
SEAS OF 5 TO 7 FEET ACROSS THE WATERS.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
AS DEVELOPING TROPICAL DISTURBANCE INVEST 98W PUSHES ACROSS THE  
MARIANAS AND THEN OFF TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF THE ISLANDS OVER THE  
NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, A STRONG SOUTHWEST MONSOON SURGE IS EXPECTED TO  
DEVELOP ACROSS THE MARIANAS IN ITS WAKE. HEAVY RAINFALL AND BREEZY TO  
WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE MARIANAS THROUGH SATURDAY  
WITH THE PASSAGE OF 98W AND THE ENSUING MONSOON SURGE.  
 

 
   
MARINE/SURF
 
 
A PASSING TROPICAL DISTURBANCE 98W AND A STRONG MONSOON SURGE  
DEVELOPING BEHIND IT WILL BRING WINDS AND SEAS HAZARDOUS TO SMALL  
CRAFT. CONDITIONS LOOK TO DETERIORATE ACROSS TINIAN AND SAIPAN  
WATERS THIS EVENING AND A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS CURRENTLY IN  
EFFECT. CONDITIONS WILL THEN DETERIORATE ACROSS GUAM AND ROTA WATERS  
THURSDAY MORNING AND THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WILL BEGIN THEN. THE  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ARE ALL IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT.  
THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR GALE FORCE WINDS TO DEVELOP BEGINNING FRIDAY  
AS THE DISTURBANCE PASSES OFF SLOWLY TO THE NORTHWEST AND THE  
SOUTHWEST FLOW INTENSIFIES, WITH THE BETTER PROBABILITY ACROSS THE  
TINIAN AND SAIPAN WATERS.  
 
THERE IS CURRENTLY A MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG NORTH, EAST  
AND SOUTH FACING REEFS AND A LOW RISK FOR WEST FACING REEFS. THIS IS  
EXPECTED TO CHANGE AS INVEST 98W PASSES THROUGH THE REGION. SURF IS  
EXPECTED TO RISE ALONG EAST AND SOUTH FACING REEFS FIRST, THEN  
TRANSITION TO SOUTH AND WEST FACING REEFS AS 98W PUSHES TO THE WEST,  
AND THE SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST MONSOON SWELL INTENSIFIES IN ITS WAKE.  
THIS WILL FORCE THE SURF AND RISK OF RIP CURRENTS TO RISE ALONG SOUTH  
AND WEST FACING REEFS AS SURF WILL EXCEED THE 9 FOOT THRESHOLD. SURF  
AND RIP RISK LOOK TO REMAIN HAZARDOUS THROUGH MUCH OF THE WEEKEND.  
 

 
   
HYDROLOGY
 
 
AN UNSETTLED PATTERN CAUSED BY A PASSING TROPICAL DISTURBANCE  
INVEST 98W AND THE MONSOON SURGE IN ITS WAKE IS LIKELY TO PRODUCE  
HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS, WITH A FLASH FLOODING RISK TO THE  
REGION, FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. TOTAL RAINFALL OF 6 TO  
12 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE THROUGH SATURDAY  
NIGHT. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT FOR THE  
MARIANAS.  
 

 
   
TROPICAL SYSTEMS
 
 
THE TROPICAL DISTURBANCE KNOWN AS JTWC INVEST 98W IS CURRENTLY  
APPROACHING THE LOWER MARIANAS. SATELLITE AND RADAR IMAGERY ARE  
INDICATING A SLOWLY DEVELOPING LOW-LEVEL CIRCULATION SOUTH AND EAST  
OF GUAM, CENTERED NEAR 12.9N 145.0E. THIS FEATURE IS ALSO APPARENT  
ON THE MIMIC TPW V2. INVEST 98W IS FORECASTED TO MOVE WEST NEAR OR  
OVER GUAM OR ROTA AS A DISORGANIZED SYSTEM, BUT IS FORECASTED TO  
SLOWLY DEVELOP AS IT SHIFTS NORTHWARD BY LATER THURSDAY, LIKELY  
STAYING TO THE WEST OF TINIAN AND SAIPAN. JTWC RATES INVEST 98W AS  
MEDIUM, WHICH MEANS THAT DEVELOPMENT INTO A TROPICAL CYCLONE IS  
EXPECTED, BUT BEYOND 24 HOURS.  
 

 
   
EASTERN MICRONESIA
 
 
SATELLITE OBSERVATIONS SHOW PARTLY CLOUDY TO MOSTLY CLEAR CONDITIONS  
ACROSS EASTERN MICRONESIA. ALTIMETRY AND BUOY DATA SHOW COMBINED  
SEAS BETWEEN 3 AND 5 FEET ACROSS THE REGION.  
 
A DRY PATTERN HAS SET UP ACROSS EASTERN MICRONESIA WITH ALL  
FORECAST ZONES FORECASTED TO HAVE ISOLATED SHOWERS THROUGH TOMORROW.  
BY TOMORROW NIGHT, WE START TO SEE A RETURN IN THE TRADE WINDS WITH  
TRADE-WIND CONVERGENCE LEADING TO SCATTERED SHOWERS FOR MAJURO. A  
MORE TRANSIENT PATTERN LOOKS TO TAKE PLACE LATE THIS WEEK AND INTO  
THE WEEKEND WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS OF 30 TO 40 POPS. EARLY NEXT WEEK  
GUIDANCE IS STARTING TO HINT TOWARDS THE ITCZ RAMPING UP AGAIN  
BRINGING INCREASED CONVECTION TO THE REGION.  
 
LITTLE CHANGE WAS MADE TO THE MARINE FORECAST. COMBINES SEA REMAIN  
BENIGN BETWEEN 3 AND 5 FEET REGION WIDE. SEAS MAY BRUSH UP TO 6 FEET  
ACROSS THE RMI SPORADICALLY THROUGH THE WEEK DUE TO FLUCTUATIONS IN  
WINDS.  
 

 
   
WESTERN MICRONESIA
 
 
TWO MAJOR FEATURES REMAIN AFFECTING THE REGION. THE FIRST IS INVEST  
98W AND THE SECOND IS TS FRANCISCO (10W). INVEST 98W IS STILL  
STIRRING UP SHOWERS NEAR CHUUK. THIS IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH OVER THE  
NEXT 24 HOURS. THIS MAY LEAVE BEHIND A SMALL NORTHERLY SWELL. OVER  
NEAR PALAU, ISOLATED SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISH FURTHER AS  
FRANCISCO, WELL TO THE NORTH, MOVES FURTHER AWAY. YAP IS THE ONLY  
OUTLIER HERE WITH A INCREASED CHANCE OF SHOWERS FOR FRIDAY AS THE  
MONSOON TAIL OF 98W MAY COME CLOSE ENOUGH TO INCREASE THE SHOWER  
POTENTIAL. OTHERWISE A RETURN TO PLEASANT WEATHER FOR ALL LOCATIONS  
IS EXPECTED ONCE THESE TWO FEATURES MOVE AWAY.  
 
COMBINED SEAS ARE ESTIMATED TO BE 3 TO 5 FEET OFF OF THE LATEST  
MODEL GUIDANCE. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE GENTLE TO MODERATE DROPPING  
TO LIGHT TO GENTLE ONCE THESE SHOWERS DISPERSE. OVERALL, BENIGN SEAS  
ARE EXPECTED THROUGHOUT WEST MICRONESIA.  
 

   
GUM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
GU...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT FOR GUZ001.  
 
HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE SATURDAY  
NIGHT FOR GUZ001.  
 
HIGH SURF ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THURSDAY TO 6 AM CHST SUNDAY FOR  
GUZ001.  
 
MP...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT FOR MPZ001>003.  
 
HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE SATURDAY  
NIGHT FOR MPZ001>003.  
 
HIGH SURF ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THURSDAY TO 6 AM CHST SUNDAY FOR  
MPZ001>003.  
 
MARIANAS WATERS...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 6 AM THURSDAY TO 6 AM CHST  
SUNDAY FOR PMZ151-152.  
 
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CHST SUNDAY FOR PMZ153-154.  
 

 
 

 
 
MARIANAS: SLAGLE  
EAST MICRONESIA: WILLIAMS  
WEST MICRONESIA: BOWSHER  
 
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