Tropical Storm Trami developed west of the Marianas on Friday.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of Tropical Storm Trami was located at latitude 16.2°N and longitude 140.8°E which put it about 285 miles (460 km) northwest of Guam.  Trami was moving toward the west-northwest at 14 m.p.h. (22 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 993 mb.

The circulation around former Tropical Depression 28W strengthened on Friday and the Japan Meteorological Agency designated the system as Tropical Storm Trami.  An inner band of thunderstorms wrapped tightly around the northern and western sides of the center of circulation.  Several other bands of showers and thunderstorms in the eastern half of the circulation were revolving around the core of Tropical Storm Trami.  Bands in the western half of the circulation consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds.  Storms near the core of Trami were generating upper level divergence which was pumping mass away from the tropical storm.

Tropical Storm Trami will be moving through an environment favorable for intensification.  Trami will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 30°C.  It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear.  Tropical Storm Trami will continue to intensify and it could become a typhoon during the next 24 hours.  A period of rapid intensification is possible once the inner core is fully developed.  Tropical Storm Trami could become the equivalent of a major hurricane during the next few days.

Tropical Storm Trami will continue to move south of a subtropical ridge over the Western North Pacific Ocean.  The ridge will steer Trami in a general west-northwesterly direction.  On its anticipated track Trami could be southeast of Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands in four or five days.  It could be a powerful typhoon at that time.