THIS WEEK’S NEWS

THIS WEEK’S NEWS
(Thank you KUAM news team)

Friday, March 30, 2007

The National Weather Service has placed Guam under a Red Flag Warning until Saturday evening, meaning critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly. According to the NWS, a combination of fresh to strong tradewinds, low afternoon relative humidity, and warm temperatures will create explosive fire growth potential.

Just last week the NWS declared a Fire Weather Watch, brought on by similar dry conditions and high winds.

The National Weather Service was on the money when it issued its Red Flag Fire Warning this morning. Today fires broke out across the island, filling Guam's normally blue skies with smoke. Locales like Cross-Island Road, Turtle Cove, and parts of Tiyan were literally swallowed by flames.

According to the NWS, relative humidity probably hit as low as 55% today's high was 88° and the island's dew point was 71° - both perfect weather for fires.

Saturday, March 31, 2007

NWS tracking storm near Pohnpei

At 6pm Saturday the National Weather Service announced that tropical storm conditions could be possible this Monday or Tuesday for the Mariana Islands. A tropical storm disturbance west of Pohnpei is expected to develop and move northwest toward our region, possibly bringing tropical storm conditions to the region by the beginning of the workweek.

Sunday, April 01, 2007

Guam placed in Condition 2

At around 9:30pm Sunday the island was declared in Condition of Readiness "2", according to the Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense. This means damaging winds may arrive within 24 hours. At 8pm Sunday the National Weather Service placed Guam, Rota, Tinian and Saipan under a Typhoon Warning.

Typhoon Warning issued for Marianas
At 8pm Sunday evening the National Weather Service issued a Typhoon Warning for Guam, Rota, Tinian and Saipan. While still a tropical storm, the formation named Kong-Rey is expected to intensify overnight and should become a typhoon on Monday. The storm is moving northwest at 13 miles per hour and this general motion is expected to continue during the next 24 hours. Maximum sustained winds are 50 miles per hour.

Residents advised to prepare for Kong-Rey's arrival
Damaging winds due to Tropical Storm Kong-Rey are possible in the Marianas beginning Monday night, with stronger winds reaching typhoon intensity along the track of the storm. National Weather Service meteorologist Chip Guard told KUAM News, "This is our best guest of what's going to happen: We expect the damaging winds of 40 miles per hour to arrive about 7pm Monday and then the destructive winds that can blow your roof - especially tin roofs through the air - about 1am Tuesday. From 4am-9am Tuesday possible typhoon-force winds may arrive. The damaging winds that arrive tomorrow night may last about twenty-four hours. The destructive winds that arrive at 1am will last about twelve hours."

Monday, April 02, 2007

Tsunami Watch declared after quake near Solomon Islands

As if we didn't have enough on our hands with the impending Tropical Storm Kong-Rey about 400 miles to the east-southeast, Guam is now keeping a keen eye on a tsunami warning. An earthquake registering as high as 7.8 on the Richter Scale occurred about 217 miles northwest of the Solomon Islands.

Tsunami Watch cancelled, but storm grows stronger
After a few brief moments of concern, Guam is back to having to worry about only a single natural event. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center called off the Tsunami Watch for Guam, according to the Governor's Office, shortly before 9am. However, the "other" issue of the day - Tropical Storm Kong-Rey - continues to build in intensity as it heads northwest towards Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Typhoon Warning called off, but Guam still in COR2
Guam rose to the challenge of an impending typhoon, and this time our island fortunately was spared as the National Weather Service at 8pm Monday cancelled the Typhoon Warning for Guam. Typhoon Kong-Rey continues to move north-northwest toward the Mariana Islands, tracking toward Saipan and Tinian.

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Back to normal: Condition of Readiness 4 restored
With Typhoon Kong-Rey no longer posing a direct threat to Guam, the local government as well as the United States military declared the island back in Condition of Readiness 4 at 7am Tuesday. Guam was fortunate to have not been in the direct path of a formation that built in intensity as it headed towards the Marianas after first being plotted over the weekend near Pohnpei. Kong-Rey went rather quickly from being a tropical storm to a typhoon over the course of a very busy Monday for the island's response activity coordinators.

While the Typhoon Watch was called off at 8 last night as the formation veered towards Tinian and Saipan and away from making a direct hit on Guam and Rota, the Government of Guam chose to persist having COR2 declared as a precautionary measure through the late hours of the night.