


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Tiyan, Guam
Issued by NWS Tiyan, Guam
576 FXPQ50 PGUM 080744 AFDGUM Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tiyan GU 544 PM ChST Mon Sep 8 2025 .Marianas Synopsis... A few showers and thunderstorms continue near Guam this evening, but they`re on a diminishing trend. Winds remain light to gentle, with seas of 3 to 4 feet. The latest water temperature at the Ipan buoy is 86 degrees. && .Discussion... A fairly typical wet season pattern is in place, with light to gentle winds helping to develop island convection near the western coastlines. Winds are slightly higher during the late morning and afternoon at higher elevations, but here too they`ve been less than what we`d typically see. Overall, a similar pattern will continue this week with streamline analysis confirming what the models show, that no significant surface troughs are expected to influence our weather this week. However, upper-level divergence from a Tropical Upper Tropospheric Trough (TUTT) cell, acrossing the northern Mariana Islands the next few days, will help to support isolated thunderstorms across the Marianas, with more island convection during the late morning and afternoon hours, if the winds can remain under 10 knots. Models support easterly winds around 6 to 9 knots during the late morning and afternoon hours, which is sufficiently light for the convection to develop. However, any island convection will be tied to the immediate western coastlines, especially near Guam (due to better orographics), and more so to the western coastal waters. As such, mid to high-level clouds from convective blowoff to the south of the Marianas could hinder this potential. As such, we opted for just isolated shower and thunderstorm coverage for now, and will make short term adjustments (within the next 24 to 48 hours) as needed, which could be inserted into the forecast during the midnight shift package or with morning updates. && .Marine... Aside from convectively-driven wind gusts potentially developing near western coastlines, mariners can expect light to gentle winds with seas holding in the 3 to 4 foot range this week. && .Eastern Micronesia... The Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) strengthened across the region as expected. However, convection is limited across the region. This is likely due to the loss of the upper-level divergence that was helping the convection yesterday. The upper divergence is now found to the northeast of Majuro, where it is interacting with the ITCZ and an east-northeast oriented trade-wind trough to produce scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms. The divergence looks to continue to weaken over the area while the ITCZ is expected to continue to strengthen westward. Meanwhile, the trade-wind trough will also move west. These two features will help to increase convection across the region. Kosrae and Majuro will see increased showers late tonight, after midnight, with Pohnpei seeing the increased convection Tuesday. Latest guidance now shows less rainfall and shower coverage than previous runs, with the ITCZ pushing northward a bit earlier. This scenario looks more reasonable. Therefore, lowered POPs (Probability Of Precipitation) to the 50% range. A dry trade-wind pattern is then expected to return around Thursday and continue into the weekend. Benign marine conditions will continue into the weekend, with combined seas of 5 feet or less and light to gentle winds through the period. && .Western Micronesia... A light wind pattern extends over Palau and Yap, which helped to initiate island-effect thunderstorms just off the western shores of Babeldaob Island in Palau earlier this afternoon. As the sun sets, island-effect convection will end to due to the lack of heating of the islands, so a fairly dry night is expected for both Palau and Yap. There is a weak surface trough to the south-southwest of the Marianas that is generating scattered showers across the outer islands of Yap State, but is not expected to move into Yap Proper until during the day Tuesday. Winds will remain light and potentially variable at Palau Tuesday, potentially leading to another round of island-effect convection that may stay over the larger island of Babeldaob during the late morning and afternoon hours, so mentioned scattered showers for the afternoon hours of Tuesday in the forecast and kept the potential for isolated thunderstorms through the day. Otherwise, fairly quiet weather is expected Tuesday night and into Wednesday. Around Wednesday night or Thursday, models continue to support that an ITCZ fragment or a surface trough breaking off of the ITCZ in eastern Micronesia will move into Yap and Palau, increasing the potential showers and thunderstorms through Friday to around 30% to 40%. Over by Chuuk, scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms are passing through this evening, developing along weak convergent flow and trade-wind troughs moving through the state, while convection along the ITCZ in eastern Micronesia has become rather fragmented since yesterday. Based on model guidance, kept the potential for showers around 50% tonight, but decreased the potential for Tuesday to 40% as the bulk of the showers may shift westward faster than previously expected. The ITCZ is still expected to lift northward and decrease the potential for showers to around 30% across Chuuk State Tuesday night trough Friday, with isolated showers expected Saturday. Altimetry data earlier today shows benign seas of 2 to 3 feet near Yap and Palau and 3 to 4 feet near Chuuk. Combined seas are expected to increase to 3 to 5 feet around Wednesday and Thursday when a pulse of northerly swell moves through the region. && .GUM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GU...None. MP...None. Marianas Waters...None. && $$ Marianas: Doll East Micronesia: Kleeschulte West Micronesia: Schank