Guam, 2022

Tropical Storm in Guam, April 7 to 10, 2022

April 7 to 10, 2022 · NWS GUM · 1 event in 1 county or zone

During the early to mid part of April, a tropical storm moved across portions of Micronesia.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
1
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS GUM wrote it up.

During the early to mid part of April, a tropical storm moved across portions of Micronesia.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Guam wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 6, 11:25 PM UTC, 2 hours 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 6, 11:25 PM UTC, 2 hours 35 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tiyan GU
925 AM ChST Thu Apr 7 2022

.Short term...
Marianas Zones
The Marianas remain locked in a dry trade-wind regime. This will
allow the fire danger to continue increasing, with the KBDI now 618.
This is in the Very High fire danger category because of the strong
winds in the Marianas at this time. Therefore maintained all of the
advisories for the Marianas, as, indirectly at least, they are all
based on the fresh to strong winds which are happening now and are
expected to continue. The Red Flag Warning will end early, not
because the winds are reducing, but because the moisture will likely
increase. The high risk of rip currents will continue through at
least Sunday night.

Coastal Marianas
Combined seas of 6 to 9 feet will build to between 8 and 10 feet
Friday night. If the circulation passes close to Guam, we could spike
up to as high as 16 feet later. This combined with fresh to strong
winds will maintain a small craft advisory.

Eastern Micronesia
Not much change here, the ITCZ is the dominant feature. Main change
here is that I refreshed the short term winds from the ecmwfGlobal.
The main purpose in this was to facilitate a nice looking border with
Western Micronesia, where I chose the ecmwfGlobal for a very specific
reason.

Western Micronesia
The main action here is the monsoon trough leading to the circulation
which is Invest Area 95W. The GFS spins up a second circulation to
the northwest of Palau which is a bit suspect. There might be a
circulation there, but it will most likely not spin up like that.
Therefore, found the model of choice this morning to be the
ecmwfGlobal. It had a nice depiction of 95W, and while it did
intensify it, it didn't get completely unhinged. So, filled the winds
in the short term with the ecmwfGlobal. This delayed a forecast small
craft advisory for Palau which in my opinion could end up being
spurious.

&&

.Long term...
Marianas Zones
The circulation near 4N146E is expected to become a tropical cyclone
in the next day or two. Uncertainty exists on the eventual strength
of the system. Models seem to agree with whatever develops passing
south of Guam by Sunday. Expect at least breezy conditions for the
Marianas with winds of 20 to 25 mph with possible through the
weekend. If the tropical cyclone is stronger than the current models
predict, these winds will be higher. As the tropical cyclone
approaches the local area showers will increase by Saturday becoming
more likely as the storm gets closer and eventually passes on Sunday.
Convergence in the wake of the tropical cyclone will continue to
produce showers and thunderstorms through Wednesday.

Coastal Marianas
As the tropical cyclone approaches the Marianas seas will increase to
8 to 10 feet on Saturday. Winds at this time are expected to be
between 15 to 25 knots across the coastal waters Saturday through
Monday. If the tropical cyclone develops further and passes closer
to the Marianas, the winds and seas could be higher.

Eastern Micronesia
The active ITCZ pattern will persist across the eastern half of
Micronesia with a high chance of showers and thunderstorms across
Pohnpei and Kosrae Saturday through Wednesday. The main axis of the
ITCZ will sink a little south of Majuro. This will allow relatively
drier air to filter across that area with only isolated showers and
thunderstorms expected at Majuro Saturday through Sunday night. The
ITCZ will move back north by Monday creating a high chance of showers
and thunderstorms at Majuro Monday through Wednesday.

Western Micronesia
The wet weather pattern will continue through the weekend across the
western half of Micronesia. The developing tropical cyclone is
expected to be between Yap and Chuuk by Saturday. As the tropical
cyclone moves north of the area by Sunday it will drag the monsoon
trough north. Low-level convergence south of the monsoon trough will
continue to produce a high chance of showers and thunderstorms at
Palau and Yap Saturday through Monday. Some models show winds
increasing in the monsoon flow producing breezy winds at Palau and
Yap the first half of the coming week. At the present time the
tropical cyclone is expected to pass east of Yap by late Saturday.
The current forecast is based on this track. If the tropical cyclone
moves closer to Yap winds could be higher.

Low-level convergence in the wake of the tropical cyclone will
produce a higher chance of showers and thunderstorms at Chuuk
Saturday through Monday. An ITCZ pattern will continue to produce a
higher chance of showers and thunderstorms at Chuuk Tuesday through
Wednesday.

&&

.Marine...
Canceled the small craft advisory at Pohnpei, wave models and JASON
showed waves have diminished to below 10 feet. Also, models and
observations show the winds have decreased also.

The small craft advisory at Chuuk will continue through Friday
morning. At that time, the developing tropical cyclone is expected to
move far enough west that Chuuk is out of the enhanced wind regime.

The small craft advisory for the Marianas will continue until Monday
morning. Again, at that time, the developing tropical cyclone is
expected to move far enough west that the Marianas are outside of the
enhanced wind regime.

&&

.Hydrology...
There is still a Hydrologic Outlook for the Marianas. However, as the
situation continues to develop, rainfall totals in the GFS are
diminishing, gradually approaching totals in the other models. If
this trend keeps up, we may not have a huge hydrologic event after
all. It was just an outlook that this was a possibility though.

&&

.Fire weather...
Low fire stick moisture and humidity will combine with high winds to
produce critical fire weather today and Friday. These could extend
into Saturday if 95W is delayed or misses us entirely, which is
possible.

&&

.Tropical systems...
Invest Area 95W is now the subject of a Tropical Cyclone Formation
Alert. The first visible satellite imagery showed it to be outside of
the TCFA box, so JTWC recently issued another TCFA to adjust for
that. 95W is slowly developing, and a new cluster of showers and
thunderstorms recently erupted not too far from the center.

&&

.GUM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GU...High Rip Current Risk through late Sunday night for GUZ001.
     Red Flag Warning until 6 PM ChST Friday for GUZ001.

MP...High Rip Current Risk through late Sunday night for MPZ001>003.

Marianas Waters...Small Craft Advisory until 6 AM ChST Monday for
                  PMZ151>154.

&&

Marianas: Stanko
Micronesia: Ziobro

Event by event

1 tropical storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Tropical Storm, Micronesia

When
April 7, 12:00 PM GST to April 10, 8:00 AM GST
Where
Micronesia forecast zone
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
Official NWS Observations

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 8th of April TD02W intensified to a tropical storm. Tropical Storm Malakas was located near 4.5N146.1E or 210 miles south-southeast of Satawal or 650 miles east-southeast of Yap.

On the afternoon of the 9th of April Malakas passed 15 miles to the east of Woleai. The tropical storm was located near 7.4N 144.1E with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. Winds of 35 to 45 mph were reported at Woleai. Rainfall at Woleai from the 7th to the 10th was 5.62 inches. On the island of Wottegai in Woleai Atoll, one person was injured from a falling object.

On the morning of the 10th of April Malakas passed 70 miles east-northeast of Fais in Yap State and 235 miles east of Yap Island. Maximum sustained winds were at 65 mph near the center. On Fais winds were up to 40 to 50 mph on the morning of the 10th. |On Ulithi, which is close to Fais, rainfall from the 9th to the 11th was 7.37 inches.

Upper-level wind shear hampered the strengthening of the tropical storm, but this |eventually relax enough by the 12th. Early on the morning of the 12th of April |Malakas intensified to a typhoon as it was located 385 miles north-northeast of |Yap or near 14.5N 135.6E.

No deaths or injuries were reported across Yap State. Across the smaller islands of|Yap State there were reports of coastal erosion. Minor damage to buildings was also |noted. On a few islands, a few Taro patches were flooded with rain water. A few of the|Taro patches were flooded with salt water. There were also reports of damage to Yam patches, Banana trees, Breadfruit trees, and Tapioca trees. Woleai, having the storm pass close to it, did report that a majority of their Banana trees, Breadfruit trees, Tapioca, and Coconut trees were damaged.

What these are

Tropical Storm
A tropical cyclone with sustained winds of 34 to 63 knots (39 to 73 mph).

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Guam in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Guam, April 2022The 2022 hurricane season

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1023801.