Former Tropical Storm Hagupit weakened to a tropical depression on Sunday.  At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Tropical Depression Hagupit was located at latitude 10.4°N and longitude 130.7°E which put the center about 310 miles (500 km) northwest of Koror, Palau. Hagupit was moving toward the west at 11 m.p.h. (17 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 30 m.p.h. (50 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1006 mb.

Former Tropical Storm Hagupit weakened to a tropical depression over the Western North Pacific Ocean northwest of Palau on Sunday.  More of the thunderstorms in Tropical Depression Hagupit dissipated.  Some thunderstorms were still occurring in bands in the eastern half of Hagupit’s circulation.  Bands in the western side of Hagupit’s circulation consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds.  The few thunderstorms near the center of Hagupit generated little upper level divergence to pump mass away from the tropical depression.  Mass was still converging in the lower levels of the atmosphere.  So, the surface pressure continued to increase slowly.

Tropical Depression Hagupit will move through an environment that will be unfavorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Hagupit will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C.  However, it will move under the southern end of an upper level trough that is south of Japan.  The upper level trough will produce westerly winds that will blow toward the top of Hagupit’s circulation.  Those winds will cause moderate vertical wind shear. Tropical Depression Hagupit will  continue to weaken because of the vertical wind shear.

Tropical Depression Hagupit will move around the southwestern part of a high pressure system over the Western North Pacific Ocean.  The high pressure system will steer Hagupit toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, Tropical Depression Hagupit will continue to move farther away from Palau.