Calmer weather expected this week

Due to a nearby passing storm, Saipan residents experienced strong winds and heavy rains yesterday resulting in flooding in some villages and roads.

According to a National Weather Service report issued from the Weather Forecast Office in Tiyan, Guam, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert yesterday morning for a developing disturbance, Invest 97W, when it was located just west-northwest of Guam.

It noted that the disturbance has been given a “high” probability for tropical cyclone development, saying that things could potentially escalate into a tropical depression within 24 hours of the report.

As of 6am yesterday, Invest 97W was centered near 13.7N 144.2E, drifting northward with a projected turn toward the northwest later yesterday, away from the Marianas. While it is not expected to make direct landfall, the disturbance is generating significant monsoon conditions across Guam and the CNMI. Yesterday morning, residents across Saipan and other parts of the CNMI woke up to intensifying winds, which peaked in the afternoon.

“97W poses no direct threat to the Mariana Islands, despite its close proximity. However, it will influence the monsoon, which has been surging across the region since overnight, and will continue to do so through early Tuesday morning,” said NWS Warning Coordination meteorologist Marcus Landon Aydlett.

“Impacts will be similar to last week: Tents, canopies, tarps, trash bins, lawn furniture, campaign signs, and other loose outdoor items. Please be advised of the many hazards in play across the region, with a number of watches, warnings and advisories currently in effect. This should be the last hurrah of this spell of wet weather and strong winds for the last couple weeks, with better weather for the last half of the week,” he adde.

In the report yesterday, Saipan’s airport recorded sustained winds of 20-30 mph, with gusts reaching a startling 49 mph at 9am. As the storm pulls away, the report indicates that Invest 97W continues to drive powerful monsoon surges, bringing heavy rains and winds of up to 50 mph to the region.

Meanwhile, the report also stated that Guam has experienced relatively calmer conditions outside of rain showers, but gusts of up to 30 mph have been reported during moderate to heavy downpours.

The region is under a High Wind Warning and Gale Warning until 6am today. Additionally, a High Surf Advisory and Flood Watch remain in effect for Guam and the CNMI, with warnings extending to Yap and Palau.

Residents are urged to secure loose items, especially outside, and avoid coastal areas, where seas will be rough. In addition, the CNMI Public School System shared that classes will resume again today as improved conditions are expected this afternoon, while Invest 97W continues its northward movement. Calmer skies are also forecasted by midweek.

For more information or updates, visit the National Weather Service’s website at weather.gov/gum.