HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Tropical Storm Kirogi doesn’t pose a threat to Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, though the storm may strengthen into a typhoon as it passes well north of the Marianas over the next few days.
That’s according to Landon Aydlett, chief meteorologist with the local National Weather Service Forecast Office. He said the storm, located about 640 miles east of Guam as of Thursday morning, isn’t expected to bring any inclement weather to the island as it moves west.
“Right now, (Kirogi) is located at 14 points north latitude,” Aydlett said. “That’s already above our latitude, so it would take something dramatic to send it our way.”
The current wet and gusty weather is attributable to a monsoon trough that’s been lingering over the area for a little over a week. The trend is expected to ease into the coming weeks, but residents should “expect a mix of showers and thunderstorms and, briefly, gusty southwest winds over the next several days and through the Labor Day weekend,” Aydlett said.
It’s too soon to say whether residents should start rethinking their beach barbecue plans for Labor Day, he told The Guam Daily Post.
Peak season
If Kirogi strengthens into a typhoon as it exits the region, it could become the first of the two or three major typhoons predicted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to pass by after Typhoon Mawar pummeled the island back in May.
The Post reported in July that this year’s El Niño pattern could bring a greater risk of another typhoon striking until at least the end of 2023 and possibly into 2024.
Aydlett said Thursday that it’s too soon to say whether the El Niño pattern will persist into next year but said the wet and windy activity Guam is seeing now is typical for this time during an El Niño year.
“Keep in mind we are coming up on peak tropical cyclone season – that’s September, October to November,” he said. “We’re in a busy period right now, and as we are in the peak season, definitely do not turn your back to nature because things have a tendency to spin up … in this region.”
An updated typhoon outlook for the Western Pacific may be available in the coming weeks, Aydlett said.
Landon Aydlett, chief meteorologist with the local National Weather Service Forecast Office, is shown at his Tiyan office on July 3, 2023. The agency said Tropical Storm Kirogi, located about 640 miles east of Guam as of Thursday Aug. 31, 2023, isn’t expected to bring any inclement weather to the island as it moves west.
