

AN AREA OF CONVECTION HAS PERSISTED NEAR 9.7N 143.6E,
APPROXIMATELY 220 NM SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF GUAM. RECENT ANIMATED
MULTISPECTRAL SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS PATCHY DEEP CONVECTION
DEVELOPING NEAR A TIGHTENING SURFACE TROUGH ALSO EVIDENT IN A
192033Z QUIKSCAT PASS. THE DISTURBANCE LIES JUST SOUTH OF AN
UPPER LEVEL RIDGE AXIS, WITH FAVORABLE WESTWARD AND POLEWARD
DIFFLUENCE ALOFT AND LOW TO MODERATE VERTICAL WIND SHEAR.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED SURFACE WINDS ARE ESTIMATED AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS.
MINIMUM SEA LEVEL PRESSURE IS ESTIMATED TO BE NEAR 1009 MB.
BASED ON AN IMPROVING, BUT STILL WEAK, LOW LEVEL SIGNATURE AND
GENEARLLY FAVORABLE UPPER LEVEL CONDITIONS, THE POTENTIAL FOR
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SIGNIFICANT TROPICAL CYCLONE WITHIN THE
NEXT 24 HOURS IS POOR.