Extreme drought persists on Saipan and Tinian only

The National Weather Service based off of Tiyan, Guam has released its most recent drought statement reporting that extreme drought persists on Saipan and Tinian only while drought conditions continue to improve for the rest of the Marianas.

NWS reports that a complex week could be shaping up across the western North Pacific as extreme to exceptional drought persists in some areas of the NWS Guam Area of Responsibility, while the tropics threaten to become active in other areas.

According to NWS, extreme drought persists for Saipan and Tinian while exceptional drought persists for Yap.

For the Marianas, NWS says to expect a dry trade wind pattern to persist through the end of the week with mostly sunny skies, moderate trades and isolated showers.

Clouds could increase for the weekend along with a slight chance of thunderstorms.

As for the Yap and Palau, fair weather is expected and will prevail a couple more days with partly to mostly sunny skies, isolated showers and gentle to moderate northeast winds.

A near-equatorial trough passing south of Yap and Palau will eventually lift northward closer to Palau and Yap, bringing a better chance for showers and thunderstorms into the weekend.

Weekend weather and conditions into early next week will hinge closely on weather development within that NET.

Meanwhile, a showery trade-wind pattern will persist farther east across the region from Chuuk to Majuro through the weekend.

“Episodic in nature, showers and thunderstorms will pulse up and down across the region as it remains in an active phase into early next week. Most showers will fall between 3N and 8N, but could reach as far north as 11N this weekend, bringing showers to the northern RMI,” said NWS.

In addition, a near-equatorial trough south of Palau and Yap is the focus of a couple of weak tropical disturbances; namely Invests 91W and 90W which are both rated as sub-low by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. This means they are not expected to have significant development in the next couple days.

However, NWS says beyond the next few days, mid- and long-range model forecasts vary significantly in regard to development potential, with possible scenarios ranging from a passing tropical disturbance with gusty winds, periods of heavy showers and thunderstorms to a possible tropical storm in the region.