


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Tiyan, Guam
Issued by NWS Tiyan, Guam
217 FXPQ50 PGUM 140759 AFDGUM Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tiyan GU 559 PM ChST Tue Oct 14 2025 .Marianas Synopsis... Moderate to fresh southeasterlies prevail across the region. Satellite imagery and Doppler radar indicate slow-moving but steady rows of showers moving into Rota waters. Buoys indicate seas are around 5 to 7 feet. && .Discussion... A generally unsettled pattern caused by nearby tropical disturbance Invest 96W embedded within an east-west oriented trough, is likely to produce heavy showers and thunderstorms to bring localized flash flooding risk to Guam and Rota for at least the next few days. Heavier showers and thunderstorms are expected to begin after midnight, to then peak in coverage and intensity Wednesday. As such, a Flash Flood Watch has been issued for Guam and Rota through late Wednesday night. Uncertainty remains high regarding wind potentials due to the lackluster nature of the synoptic regime involving Invest 96W, but at this time, breezy winds of 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph are possible Wednesday over Guam and Rota. Weather conditions are expected to be slightly better at Tinian and Saipan, while also dodging most of the more intense outflow boundaries produced by 96W. Invest 96W is expected to exit the region before the weekend, to then intensify in the open waters of the Philippine Sea as it heads towards Luzon during the weekend. This will allow conditions to improve considerably beginning Thursday, with a return to a drier regime expected toward the weekend across the Marianas. && .Marine... Fresh to strong southeasterlies, as well as increasing southeast wind waves, will produce conditions hazardous to small craft through at least late Wednesday night. As such, a Small Craft Advisory has been issued through late Wednesday night. Conditions are expected to steadily improve once Invest 96W moves away from the region to the west in the second half of the week. Combined seas of 6 to 8 feet near Guam and Rota, and 5 to 7 feet near Tinian and Saipan tonight, will taper down a few feet by Thursday, once wind waves decrease after Invest 96W`s passage. && .Hydrology... The most recent model guidance and satellite interpretation analysis indicates rainfall potential of 3 to 5 inches possible over Guam and Rota over the next 48 hours. If rains persist, soils may become saturated with any additional rain resulting in pure runoff, which may exacerbate flash flooding potential further into the week. Based on the most recent data, rainfall is expected to taper down significantly after 96W`s exit, resulting in lesser shower potential for the rest of the week. && .Tropical systems... A loosely organized tropical disturbance known as JTWC`s Invest 96W, has a center axis of momenta just near 11N146E well southeast of Guam. Moderate to occasionally deep convection is associated with this feature, mainly associated with the east-west oriented trough within which this disturbance is embedded in. Invest 96W is still rated LOW by JTWC, meaning development into a tropical cyclone is unlikely within 24 hours. While the system remains with no discernible center of rotation, a sharpening leading edge of the trough will be the vorticity center on which 96W will latch onto as it crossed the Marianas, deepening the convection as it exits to the west. This feature will then intensify in the open waters of the Philippine Sea as it heads towards Luzon during the weekend. For updated information on 96W, please refer to the Significant Tropical Weather Advisory, issued by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, under WMO header ABPW10 PGTW. A trade-wind disturbance is centered near 4N162E just southwest of Kosrae. Moderate to deep convection is associated with this feature, producing numerous to widespread showers and isolated to scattered thunderstorms across a wide sector of eastern Micronesia from 160E to 170E, between 2N and 7N. This feature is expected to lose its center of rotation and bulk of convection overnight, dissipating into moreso a broad surface trade-wind trough that will continue to move along the trades over the next several days. && .Eastern Micronesia... A tropical disturbance is producing an low located near 4N162E (just southwest of Korea),and trough extending from the low to east of Majuro near 7N175E. The showers associated with this disturbance are numerous to widespread with isolated thunderstorms and covering most of the central region of eastern Micronesia. The heaviest showers are moving towards Kosrae. A call from WSO Pohnpei informed us that 0.77 inches had fallen by around 12:30 PM ChST. This disturbance is expected to arrive at Pohnpei around Thursday. Model guidance suggests, this disturbance will continue into western Micronesia as a trough over the weekend. Along the eastern boarder, the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is anticipated to build back in over the weekend bring more showers back to the region. Altimetry shows combined seas of 5 to 6 feet near Pohnpei and Kosrae, and 6 to 7 feet near Majuro. Both North Point and Utwe buoys confirm the heights near Pohnpei and Kosrae respectively. Winds are expected to be light to gentle over much of the region, with a caveat of moderate winds near heavier showers. There are two swells at play here, the north swell of about 4 to 6 feet coming from distant Tropical Nakri. The other swell is a southeast swell of about 3 feet. Surf along north facing reefs are expected to be elevated, however are expected to be below the 9 foot threshold for an high surf advisory. && .Western Micronesia... Scatterometer data shows a westward moving, elongated circulation centered east of Palau and south of Yap, near 6N137E. This circulation was part of of the area monitored as Invest 96W, but as discussed in previous discussions, this circulation was expected to remain elongated. More attention is now on the sharp trough heading towards the Marianas, which is where Invest 96W was relocated this morning, and is now centered near 11N146E. Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms are still developing along the elongated center and are moving across Palau this evening and expected to move through Yap Proper later tonight. The potential for scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms will linger through Wednesday as the elongated circulation drifts off to the west, potentially opening back up into a trough. Depending on how Invest 96W develops as it moves west of the Marianas, gentle south to southwest flow may develop across Palau and Yap Wednesday through Thursday, before turning southeast to east late this week as a trough approaches the region, potentially prolonging scattered showers and periods of isolated thunderstorms across Palau and Yap into the weekend. For Chuuk, with Invest 96W moving closer to the Marianas, dry weather has moved across Chuuk Lagoon and is spreading westward. This drier weather will continue through tonight, but a broad trough with an embedded circulation near Kosrae will continue to drift westward. This will lead to showers starting to increase as early as Wednesday afternoon. However, models show the embedded circulation dissipating, with the vorticity moving north of Chuuk, this may keep showers on the low-end of coverage across Chuuk, with showers favored more along 10N later this week. Winds are expected to be easterly and mainly light to gentle, occasionally becoming moderate with the passage of troughs. Satellite altimetry shows seas around 4 to 5 feet across the region, mainly driven by the north to northeast swell. Surf along north facing reefs will remain elevated across Palau, Yap, and Chuuk this week, due to pulses of longer-period northerly swell moving through the region, but are expected to remain below hazardous levels of 9 feet. && .GUM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GU...Flash Flood Watch through late Wednesday night for GUZ001. MP...Flash Flood Watch through late Wednesday night for MPZ001. Marianas Waters...Small Craft Advisory until 6 AM ChST Thursday for PMZ151-152. && $$ Marianas/Tropical: Montvila East Micronesia: Bowsher West Micronesia: Schank