The thirteenth tropical depression in the Northwestern Pacific hurricane season formed today,

Tropical Depression 13W was captured from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument shortly after it was “born” early this morning. AIRS flies aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite. The infrared imagery shows temperatures, from cold cloud tops to warm sea surface temperatures that power tropical cyclones. Today’s image showed that the strongest convection, highest thunderstorms and heaviest rainfall were concentrated in the system’s center. Those cloud top temperatures were as cold as or colder than -60 Fahrenheit, indicating strong thunderstorms.

Tropical Depression 13W (TD13W) had maximum sustained winds near 34 mph. TD13W was located approximately 225 nautical miles north of Saipan, near 18.7 North and 145.2 East. It has moved northwestward at 7 mph and is creating 12- foot high waves.

Forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center are forecasting a northwesterly track that would affect Iwo To and Chi Chi Jima this week.

Tropical depression of the eastern Pacific Season formed on Sept. 2, and is maintaining its strength. NASA infrared imagery did reveal some strong convection in the center of Tropical Depression 10E (TD10E) on Sept. 2, and if the convection continues increasing it could become a tropical storm briefly over the weekend.

On Sept. 3 at 11 a.m. EDT Tropical depression 10-E had maximum sustained winds near 34 mph, and was centered about 205 mile south of the southern tip of Baja California near 20.0 North and 110.4 West, moving west-northwest at 8 mph. Estimated minimum sea level pressure is 1000 millibars.

TD10E may become a tropical storm this weekend before it weakens again. If it does make tropical storm status it would be named Georgette. TD10E is forecast to move west into the open waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean over the weekend.