Micronesia storm history

A solo boater was travelling to Uman Island from Weno Island, islands within Chuuk Lagoon. Nearby boaters waiting for the rough seas and gusty winds to decreases notice a boat circling a spot between the islands of Fefan and Tonoas. National and State police found the boat had no…

Around noon time on the 3rd of May Tropical Depression 06W formed over Yap State about 155 miles southeast of Ulithi. On the morning of the 4th the tropical depression became Tropical Storm Noul and passed close to Fais. The tropical storm moved west and passed just south of Ulit…

On the night of the 26th of March, a tropical disturbance was noted 135 miles east-southeast of Pohnpei. It became the subject of a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert issued by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. By the afternoon of the 27th the system intensified to become Tropical …

After midday on the 5th a combination of north swell and King Tides, plus higher sea levels from an on going La Nina pattern produced an inundation event. The inundation caused crop damage over a few islands in Chuuk State. Taro, Breadfruit, and Banana crops were the most notable…

On the afternoon of November 1st scatterometer data detected a circulation just south of Kosrae. This circulation moved toward the west-northwest and intensified over the next few days. The strengthening was such that on the evening of November 3 the National Weather Service Offi…

Kapingamarangi degraded into severe (D2) drought in October, after experiencing several weeks of below average rainfall since in mid-August. Kapingamarangi saw 10.11 inches in August, but ended September with 2 inches of rainfall, while the monthly normal for September was 8.82 i…

The ASCAT (Advanced Scatterometer) instrument on Metop-C measured sea surface winds of around 30 kt just north of Pohnpei around 1112Z or 2112ChST, associated with a trade-wind trough passing through the region that was also producing scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms.…

Video on social media showed flash flooding due to the nearby river (likely the Lehnmesi River) overflowing due to heavy rain and flowing up to a house. This was located in Kitti, one of the twelve administrative divisions of Pohnpei and located in the southwest sector of the isl…

Pingelap degraded from D2 (Severe) to D3 (Extreme) drought on June 3rd, after 0.65 inches of rain fell the previous week and reports for Pingelap stated that most water tanks were a quarter full or less, requiring wells to be used to meet water needs for some daily activities. Ra…

By the beginning of May, Pingelap in Pohnpei State degraded to D2 (Severe) drought, after only getting 0.90 inches of rain during the last two weeks of April. Pingelap remained at D2 through the month of May, ending the month with 3.74 inches of rainfall.

Videos sent from Pohnpei showed engorged streams and waterfalls that were pushing rapidly moving water up onto surrounding walkways on April 29th. The weather office at Pohnpei measured a 24 hour total of 4.77 inches of rainfall and other gages across the island reporting between…

Yap Proper, Ulithi, and nearby islands started the month of July in D2 (severe) drought. As the summer monsoon pattern continued to develop across western Micronesia, islands started to get consecutive weeks of over 1 inch of rainfall. This allowed Ulithi and nearby islands to im…

Yap State remains the hardest hit by short-term and long-term drought in the FSM. Yap Proper, Ulithi and nearby islands started June in extreme (D3) drought. Photos taken June 4th of the Gitam Reservoir on Yap Proper, showed water levels at the reservoir are near or below levels …

Yap State remains the hardest hit by short-term and long-term drought in the FSM. Yap Proper, Ulithi and nearby islands were in exceptional (D4) drought at the start of May. These islands remained in D4 until May 28th, when they improved slightly to extreme (D3) drought in respon…

Yap State continued to be the hardest impacted state within the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) when it came to the drought across the region. Yap Proper was in extreme drought (D3) at the beginning of April and degraded to exceptional drought (D4) on April 9th. Nearby Ulith…

Ulithi and other nearby islands of Yap State, remained in D2 (severe) through March, while Woleai remained in D1. Yap Proper degraded to D3 (extreme) on March 26th. Yap State Government scheduled a ship to depart April 6th to deliver 90 pallets of water to the outer islands. Flig…

Yap Proper, Ulithi and other nearby islands of Yap State, degraded or remained in D2 (severe) drought through February, while Woleai went from D0 to D1. At this time water supplies were decreasing but the local state government was able to handle the need for aid during this time…

A synoptic observer that sends data to the Weather Service Office in Chuuk, reported coastal flooding on Lukunoch Islands on January 22nd from 0900 ChST to 1500 ChST. Flooding came from the northeast, likely from the same large swell event that affected the Marshall Islands and W…

From Kosrae State, several videos were shared on social media on January 21st, showing coastal flooding, likely from the same large swell event that affected the Marshall Islands and Wake Island on January 19th to 21st (See coastal flood for Wake Island and Marshall Islands). Inu…

Ulithi, an island in Yap State and located just northeast of Yap Proper, entered Severe Drought (D2) as December of 2023 ended with 3.87 inches of rain which is ranked the seventh driest in a 41 year period, with eighth consecutive weeks below rainfall for water needs. Yap entere…

On May 17th a circulation that had been over the area for a few days was classified as Invest 97W by JTWC. 97W was located to the west-southwest of Chuuk at that time. Scatterometer data showed a west-wind burst south of the circulation with winds up to 30 knots. On the morning o…

Kapingamarangi in the southern reaches of the Federated States of Micronesia has been oscillating in and out of drought for several years. The last full month with above normal precipitation reported was February 2022, and severe drought (D2) was indicated in mid-January. This wa…

Kapingamarangi remained south of the main shower activity allowing dry conditions to persist there through the month. The island remained in D2 (Severe drought).

Rainfall decreased at Kapingamarangi which caused it to go from Moderate Drought (D1) to Severe Drought (D2). Kapingamarangi public and private water tanks are around 50% capacity. Crops are stressed from the recent dry weather.

Kapingamarangi went from D2 (Severe drought) to D1(Moderate drought) as rainfall increased. The last part of the month saw heavier showers with June seeing 3.40 inches. From July 1st to the 22nd. 7.15 inches of rain fell which did help the drought situation. Residents continue to…

Kapingamarangi entered Severe drought or D2 as only 0.78 inches of rain fell from June 1st to the 22nd. This is the result of the heavier rainfall moving further north. Water levels for both private and public water tanks are roughly 30% of capacity. Vegetation is turning yellow.

On the 7th of April a circulation strengthen and organized enough to be classified as Tropical Depression 02W. This was during the afternoon and the system was located near 3.7N 148.1E or 795 miles southeast of Yap or 265 miles south-southeast of Satawal. By the morning of the 8t…

Severe Drought (D2) conditions that began in the middle of February, continued for Northern Chuuk State, including Fananu (Hall Islands) and Onoun (Namonuitos), for the first half of March. As reported by the Drought Statement from March 11th, water tanks on Fananu were very low,…

Fananu goes from Moderate Drought (D1) to Severe Drought (D2) by the middle of the month. Water tanks on Fananu are empty. The main catchment tank serving the community is empty or extremely low. Well water is brackish and crops/vegetation are dying. A ship will trek through isla…

An increase in rainfall over Kapingamarangi allowed it to transition from Severe Drought (D2) in December to Moderate Drought (D1) at the beginning of January.

Kapingamarangi remains in Level D2 Drought or Severe. It briefly went to Level D3 Extreme Drought then back to D2 (Severe). Rainfall from December 1 to 22 totaled 9.82 inches, which is an improvement. Community water tanks are at 100% capacity. Residential water tank levels conti…

Kapingamarangi remains in Level D2 Drought or Severe. The island received 2.34 inches for the month which is 31 percent of average. Most residential/private water tanks are running dry. Large community water tanks are at roughly 60% capacity. Crops and vegetation continue to yell…

Kapingamarangi received only 1.46 inches of rain this month which is 23 percent of average. The persistent low rainfall has cause the island to enter Severe Drought (D2). Residents have been conserving water for several weeks. These water conservation efforts have maintained publ…

Abundant rain continued to fall across much of the eastern half of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. This allowed Wotje to improve their drought situation. This caused Wotje to go from drought level D2 (Severe Drought) at the end of May to D0 (Abnormally Dry) at the end of Jun…

A surface trough extended across the western portion of Micronesia. The axis of the trough ended west of Chuuk but satellite imagery showed a that a band of thunderstorms formed east of it. One thunderstorm passed over the village of Iras, Weno Island, Chuuk State, The Federated …

Abundant rain fell across much of the eastern half of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. This allowed Kwajalein and Wotje to improve their drought situation. Kwajalein saw 8.07 inches fall, which is 131 percent of average. This allowed Kwajalein to go from drought level D2 (Sev…

Tropical Storm Surigae began as a weak tropical disturbance well to the southwest of Weno, Chuuk. On April 9, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) opened Invest Area 94W on a weak circulation centered near 6N146E. On the afternoon of April 12th a circulation could be found sou…

A very wet April brought much needed relief to Kapingamarangi. 3.53 inches of rainfell fell over Kapingamarangi which is 108 percent of average. This rainfall allowed this location to go from D2 to D1. Crops and vegetation continue to recover after nearly a year of inadequate rai…

Drought conditions continue at Kapingmarangi as it remains in D3 Extreme Drought. Kapingamarangi recorded roughly 9 inches of rain in March 2021. The last month that saw over 6 inches of rain was nearly a year ago (April 2020). At Kapingamarangi vegetation and crops are still suf…

Drought conditions have improved slightly at Kapingmarangi and is now in D3 Extreme Drought. At Kapingamarangi long-term drought has taken its toll on the crops. Taro, breadfruit and banana trees are in very poor condition. A State of Emergency Declaration was issued the end of J…

Drought conditions have improved slightly at Kapingmarangi as it has gone from D4 Exceptional Drought in mid January to D3 Extreme Drought by the end of the month. WSO Pohnpei reports recent rainfall has filled some of Kapinga`s water catchments. Vegetation has started to green b…

Kapingamarangi remains in D4 (Exceptional Drought). 2.05 inches of rain fell in December at Kapingamarangi. Trade-wind distrubances have brushed the atoll but steady showers remain north of the area and rainfall is still inadequate. Weather Service Office in Pohnpei reports there…

Kapingamarangi received 2.26 inches of rain on 11/25 from spotty downpours associated with a trade-wind disturbance. This 2.26 inches on 11/25 is more rainfall in one day than the island received during the month of September, October and most of November combined. This rainfall …

The rainfall on Kapingamarangi from the 1st to the 28th of October was 0.87 inches, which is 11% of normal. The persisting dry weather pattern caused Kapingamarangi to go from Extreme Drought (D3) to D4 (Exceptional Drought). Residents of Kapingamarangi submitted an urgent reques…