Suomi NPP spots twenty-fifth tropical depression in Northwestern Pacific

2015 has been an active year for tropical cyclones in the northwestern Pacific Ocean as NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite spotted the twenty-fifth tropical depression.

Visible data from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite saw Tropical Depression 25W on October 13 at 0325 (Oct. 12 at 11:25 p.m. EDT). The VIIRS image showed thunderstorms wrapped around the low-level center of circulation and in a band to the south of the center.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center analyzed an image of rainfall from NASA/JAXA's Global Precipitation Measurement or GPM core satellite from 1311 UTC (9:11 a.m. EDT) on October 13, 2015 and the microwave image showed a better defined low-level center and curved bands of thunderstorms along the western quadrant of the storm.

On October 13, 2015 at 11 a.m. EDT/1500 UTC, the center of Tropical Depression 25W (TD25W) was located near latitude 13.1 north and longitude 158.8 west. The storm is about 842 nautical miles (969 miles/1,559 km) east of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and moving west at 16 knots (18.4 mph/29.6 kph). Maximum sustained winds were near 25 knots (28.7 mph/46.3 kph). The Joint Typhoon Warning Center expects the depression to strengthen into a tropical storm by October 16 at which time it would be re-named Champi.

For updated forecasts for Guam, visit the National Weather Service website: http://www.prh.noaa.gov/pr/guam/.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast takes TD25W to the west-northwest north of Guam by October 16.