NASA sees development of tropical depression Chaba

Visible satellite imagery from NASA identified the development of the latest tropical depression in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean near Guam. The National Weather Service in Guam have posted a Tropical Storm Watch.

On Sept. 27 at 9:25 p.m. EDT (Sept. 28 at 0125 UTC) NASA's Terra satellite passed near Guam in the northwestern Pacific Ocean and saw a developing depression east of the island territory that would quickly strengthen into a tropical storm. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer known as MODIS showed strong thunderstorms circled the center of the tropical cyclone.

NOAA's National Weather Service Office in Tiyan, Guam issued a Tropical Storm Watch for Guam, Rota, Tinian and Saipan. Tropical storm conditions...including winds of 39 mph or more are possible Wednesday night, Sept. 28 and Thursday morning, Sept. 29.

At 11 a.m. EDT (1 a.m. Guam local time/1500 UTC) the center of Tropical Depression Chaba was located by satellite and radar near latitude 14.2 degrees north and longitude 144.5 degrees east...moving west at 21 mph. Chaba will continue to move away from the Marianas along a westward track today before turning to the northwest and slowing down in forward motion Tonight.

Maximum sustained winds remain at 35 mph. Chaba will begin to strengthen, possibly becoming a tropical storm around midday.