20W Grows into Tropical Storm Melor, Threatens Guam

Guam just got through Tropical Depression 18W and is still contending with heavy surf from the storm. Now, Tropical Depression 20W has strengthened into a tropical storm named “Melor” and that storm is headed toward Guam. It is expected to start affecting Guam in the next two days.

Tropical Storm Melor was packing sustained winds near 80 mph (70 knots) on September 30 at 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT) or October 1 at 3 a.m. local time in Guam. Its center was located about 495 miles east-southeast of Saipan near 12.9 north and 153.9 east. It was moving west-northwest near 9 mph.

Melor’s tropical storm-force winds extend up to 50 miles from the center, and its generating waves up to 17 feet high. Melor is still intensifying and is forecast to move west-northwest toward Guam. Melor is expected to reach typhoon strength.

The Aqua satellite flew over Tropical Storm Melor at 1 p.m. local (Guam) time, September 30 and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument provided valuable infrared data on its cloud top temperatures. They’re important because they tell forecasters how high thunderstorms are, and the higher the thunderstorm, the more powerful it is, and the data helped forecasters see Melor’s cloud tops were as cold as or colder than minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit (F). The infrared satellite imagery also showed Melor had two large areas of high, strong, thunderstorm cloud tops around its center, indicating it is likely developing an eye and strengthening.