
THE AREA OF CONVECTION PREVIOUSLY
LOCATED NEAR 7.0N 133.0E, IS NOW LOCATED NEAR 6.1N 133.1E, APPROXIMATELY
120 NM SOUTHWEST OF PALAU. ANIMATED MULTISPECTRAL SATELLITE IMAGERY DEPICTS
POORLY-ORGANIZED DEEP CONVECTION FLARING WEST OF AN EXPOSED, DEFINED
LOW-LEVEL CIRCULATION CENTER (LLCC). A 292003Z QUIKSCAT (PARTIAL) IMAGE
ALONG WITH SHIP REPORTS NEAR PALAU CONFIRM THE BROAD LLCC WITH 10-15
KNOT WINDS AND SLP VALUES NEAR 1007 MB. ADDITIONALLY, OBSERVATIONS FROM
PALAU INDICATE 24-HOUR SLP FALLS OF 1 MB. THE UPPER-LEVEL ENVIRONMENT IS
MARGINAL WITH MODERATE, EASTERLY VERTICAL WIND SHEAR BUT GOOD DIFFLUENCE.
IN GENERAL, THE MODELS INDICATE A SLOWLY IMPROVING ENVIRONMENT AS THE
DISTURBANCE TRACKS WEST-NORTHWESTWARD. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED SURFACE WINDS
ARE ESTIMATED AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS. MINIMUM SEA LEVEL PRESSURE IS ESTIMATED
TO BE NEAR 1007 MB. THE POTENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SIGNIFICANT
TROPICAL CYCLONE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS REMAINS POOR.