WPAC: INVEST 97W

[Meow]

Northwest of Wake Island.

[euro6208]

[euro6208]

naked swirl...

[euro6208]

Upgraded to Medium...

AN AREA OF CONVECTION HAS PERSISTED NEAR 30.6N 148.3E,
APPROXIMATELY 530 NM EAST-SOUTHEAST OF TOKYO, JAPAN. ANIMATED
MULTISPECTRAL SATELLITE IMAGERY DEPICTS A PARTIALLY-EXPOSED LOW-
LEVEL CIRCULATION CENTER (LLCC) WITH PERSISTENT DEEP CONVECTION OVER
THE SOUTH QUADRANT. A 092323Z METOP-A IMAGE SHOWS A DEFINED LLCC
WITH WEAK CONVECTIVE BANDING OVER THE SOUTHWEST QUADRANT WRAPPING
INTO THE SOUTHEAST QUADRANT. A 092322Z ASCAT IMAGE INDICATES A
SMALL, DEVELOPING LLCC WITH 15-20 KNOT WINDS AND ISOLATED 20-25 KNOT
WINDS DISPLACED NORTH OF THE CENTER; THESE STRONGER WINDS HAVE NOT
YET WRAPPED INTO THE LLCC. UPPER-LEVEL ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT THE
LLCC IS LOCATED ALONG THE NORTHERN EDGE OF A BROAD UPPER-LEVEL LOW
AND IS UNDER MODERATE (10-20 KNOTS) NORTHEASTERLY VERTICAL WIND
SHEAR, WHICH IS HINDERING CONVECTIVE ORGANIZATION. ADDITIONALLY,
THERE IS ANOTHER WEAK, BROAD, EXPOSED CIRCULATION EVIDENT TO THE
SOUTHWEST AT 26.6N 144.8E. BASED ON THE DEFINED CIRCULATION EVIDENT
ON THE RECENT ASCAT IMAGE, THE POTENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A
SIGNIFICANT TROPICAL CYCLONE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS IS MEDIUM