SAIPAN — Tropical Depression Jangmi, designated 06W, was upgraded from a tropical disturbance Wednesday evening by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center and is forecast to stay well west of Guam and the CNMI, the National Weather Service in Tiyan said in a supplemental Regional Weather Outlook issued Thursday morning.
Jangmi is the sixth tropical cyclone in the western North Pacific in 2026. At 7 a.m. ChST Thursday, the system was located near 12.1 degrees north and 136.6 degrees east, about 205 miles north-northwest of Yap Proper, 360 miles north-northeast of Koror, 560 miles west of Guam, and 645 miles west-southwest of Saipan. It was moving north-northwest at 15 mph with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph.
“Damaging, tropical storm force winds of 39 mph or greater are not anticipated across Palau or western Yap State,” the NWS said. “Therefore, tropical storm watches or warnings are not in effect for any islands within the NWS Guam Area of Responsibility.”
NWS Guam said Jangmi is strengthening and could become a tropical storm later Thursday. The agency’s current forecast shows the system could become a typhoon by this weekend as it tracks generally north-northwest into the Philippine Sea. The longer-range forecast indicates the system could pose a threat to the southwestern islands of Japan, including Okinawa, next week.
For Yap and Palau, the monsoon flow south of Jangmi is expected to surge across the Republic of Palau and the western islands of Yap State, primarily those islands and atolls west of Woleai, through Friday. Small Craft and High Surf advisories remain in effect through Friday morning for both areas. NWS said residents should expect periods of showers, locally heavy rainfall, choppy sea conditions, and wind gusts up to 30 knots over the waters, particularly during heavy showers.
The NWS issued a Special Weather Statement for both Palau and Yap with details on seas, rain, and wind expectations for the next few days. The agency advised residents across Yap and Palau to keep up to date with the latest regional forecasts and conditions from NWS Guam, and to follow guidance from Yap State DCO, Palau’s NEMO, WSO Yap, and WSO Palau. NWS advised avoiding inter-island boat travel until conditions improve across the region.
NWS Guam will issue public advisories on Jangmi every six hours while the system remains within its Area of Responsibility, until it passes north of 25 degrees north or west of 130 degrees east.
The supplemental Regional Weather Outlook was prepared by Landon Aydlett, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at NWS Guam.
