(3) AN AREA OF CONVECTION (INVEST 96W) HAS PERSISTED NEAR
12.4N 118.6E, APPROXIMATELY 190 NM SOUTHWEST OF MANILA, PHILIPPINES.
ANIMATED ENHANCED INFRARED SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS AN AREA OF BROAD
LOW LEVEL TURNING WITH FLARING CONVECTION LOCATED PRIMARILY TO THE
SOUTH. A 032003Z SSMIS 91GHZ MICROWAVE IMAGE DEPICTS AN ELONGATED
CIRCULATION WITH DEEP BUT SMALL POCKETS OF CONVECTION LOCATED ON THE
SOUTHERN AND WESTERN PERIPHERY. THE SYSTEM IS CURRENTLY LOCATED IN
AN AREA OF GOOD EQUATORWARD DIVERGENCE, MODERATE TO HIGH (20-30
KNOTS) VERTICAL WIND SHEAR, AND WARM SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES (26-28
CELSIUS). GLOBAL MODELS ARE SPLIT BETWEEN TWO POSSIBLE TRACKS FOR
THIS SYSTEM. MOST MODELS FAVOR A NORTHWESTWARD TRACK, MAKING
LANDFALL NEAR HONG KONG WHILE OTHER MODELS HAVE INVEST 96W MOVING
EAST-NORTHEAST, ACROSS THE PHILIPPINES, AND INTENSIFYING ON THE
EASTERN SIDE OF THE PHILIPPINES BEFORE CONTINUING ON A EAST-
NORTHEASTWARD TRACK. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED SURFACE WINDS ARE ESTIMATED
AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS. MINIMUM SEA LEVEL PRESSURE IS ESTIMATED TO BE
NEAR 1010 MB. THE POTENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SIGNIFICANT
TROPICAL CYCLONE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS IS LOW.
(1) THE AREA OF CONVECTION (INVEST 96W) PREVIOUSLY LOCATED
NEAR 16.0N 113.8E IS NOW LOCATED NEAR 16.5N 113.9E, APPROXIMATELY
425NM WEST-NORTHWEST OF MANILA, PHILIPPINES. ANIMATED ENHANCED
INFRARED IMAGERY DEPICTS BROAD TURNING WITH AN EXPOSED LOW-LEVEL
CIRCULATION (LLC) THAT IS BEGINNING TO SLOWLY CONSOLIDATE. A 080958Z
SSMIS 91GHZ IMAGE SHOWS FRAGMENTED BANDING TRYING TO WRAP INTO THE
EXPOSED LLC WITH DEEP CONVECTION DISPLACED TO THE WEST. UPPER-LEVEL
ANALYSIS REVEALS A MARGINAL ENVIRONMENT WITH MODERATE TO STRONG
VERTICAL WIND SHEAR (15-25 KTS) AND CONVERGENT FLOW ASSOCIATED WITH
A BROAD, UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH POSITIONED OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. SEA
SURFACE TEMPERATURES REMAIN FAVORABLE AT 28-29C. GLOBAL MODELS
INDICATE A NORTHWESTWARD TO NORTHWARD TRACK OVER THE NEXT TWO DAYS
BUT DIFFER ON IF THE OVERALL BROAD CIRCULATION WILL CONSOLIDATE AND
INTENSIFY INTO A WEAK TROPICAL CYCLONE. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED SURFACE
WINDS ARE ESTIMATED AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS. MINIMUM SEA LEVEL PRESSURE IS
ESTIMATED TO BE NEAR 1000 MB. THE POTENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A
SIGNIFICANT TROPICAL CYCLONE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS IS UPGRADED TO
MEDIUM.