A new tropical depression has formed over the Western North Pacific Ocean.  At 11:00 p.m. EST on Sunday the center of Tropical Depression 22W (TD 22W) was located at latitude 4.8°N and longitude 152.8°E which put it about 150 miles south-southeast of Chuuk and about 800 miles southeast of Guam.  TD 22W was moving toward the west-northwest at 8 m.p.h.  The maximum sustained wind speed was 35 m.p.h. and there were gusts to 45 m.p.h.

Thunderstorms were increasing near the center of TD 22W and it was showing increased signs of organization.  There was an area of thunderstorms at the core of the circulation and spiral bands of convection were developing outside the core.  TD 22W is over warm Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) and the upper level winds are not too strong.  The environment is favorable for intensification and upper level divergence is occurring over the eastern half of the circulation.  TD 22W is likely to intensify into a tropical storm on Monday.  Further intensification is likely over the next few days as the storm remains over warm SSTs and a period of more rapid intensification is possible.

TD 22W is being steered to the west-northwest by a subtropical ridge that is located to the north of it.  The subtropical ridge is likely to continue to steer TD 22W in that same general direction during the next two or three days.  The storm could be a typhoon by the time it nears Yap.