Narra
Western Pacific
Tropical Depression · WP182026
21.0°N,
108.3°E
Moving N at 2 mph
Max Winds
35 mph
Pressure
995 mb
Forecast Points
7
JMA Winds (10-min avg)
35.0 kt
JMA Pressure
994.0 hPa
JMA (10-min average): Typhoon No. 2619
· Narra
Summary
Tropical Depression 18W (Narra) has maximum sustained winds of 35 mph and is moving very slowly. It is currently located about 134 nautical miles east of Hanoi, Vietnam, and is expected to meander within the Gulf of Tonkin.
JTWC forecasts Narra to continue a generally counterclockwise loop, with an erratic track in the short term due to weak steering. The forecast track shows a southward drift through about 48 hours, then a turn back toward the north by about 60 hours.
Narra may have a brief window to strengthen slightly as wind shear temporarily eases, with forecast peak winds around 40 mph (35 kt). After that, wind shear is expected to increase, bringing in drier air and leading to weakening and dissipation over water by about 72 hours. The system is forecast to make landfall to the east of the Leizhou Peninsula and dissipate by about 96 hours, in the vicinity of Beihai.
Key messages
- Narra is a tropical depression with 35 mph winds and is moving very slowly, with an erratic track expected in the near term.
- A brief period of slight strengthening is possible, with peak winds forecast near 40 mph before weakening begins.
- Narra is forecast to loop within the Gulf of Tonkin, then turn north, make landfall east of the Leizhou Peninsula, and dissipate near Beihai by about 96 hours.
Forecast intensity
JTWC forecast maximum sustained winds (mph) by hour.
Satellite Imagery (IR)
CIRA/RAMMB · 23 Aug 00:20 UTC
JTWC Warning #9 22 Aug 18:00 UTC
WTPN32 PGTW 222100
MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI//
SUBJ/TROPICAL DEPRESSION 18W (NARRA) WARNING NR 009//
RMKS/
1. TROPICAL DEPRESSION 18W (NARRA) WARNING NR 009
03 ACTIVE TROPICAL CYCLONES IN NORTHWESTPAC
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS BASED ON ONE-MINUTE AVERAGE
WIND RADII VALID OVER OPEN WATER ONLY
---
WARNING POSITION:
221800Z --- NEAR 21.0N 108.3E
MOVEMENT PAST SIX HOURS - 360 DEGREES AT 02 KTS
POSITION ACCURATE TO WITHIN 060 NM
POSITION BASED ON CENTER LOCATED BY A COMBINATION OF
SATELLITE AND RADAR
PRESENT WIND DISTRIBUTION:
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS - 030 KT, GUSTS 040 KT
WIND RADII VALID OVER OPEN WATER ONLY
REPEAT POSIT: 21.0N 108.3E
---
FORECASTS:
12 HRS, VALID AT:
230600Z --- 20.7N 108.2E
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS - 035 KT, GUSTS 045 KT
WIND RADII VALID OVER OPEN WATER ONLY
RADIUS OF 034 KT WINDS - 010 NM NORTHEAST QUADRANT
020 NM SOUTHEAST QUADRANT
030 NM SOUTHWEST QUADRANT
010 NM NORTHWEST QUADRANT
VECTOR TO 24 HR POSIT: 180 DEG/ 02 KTS
---
24 HRS, VALID AT:
231800Z --- 20.4N 108.2E
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS - 035 KT, GUSTS 045 KT
WIND RADII VALID OVER OPEN WATER ONLY
RADIUS OF 034 KT WINDS - 020 NM NORTHEAST QUADRANT
030 NM SOUTHEAST QUADRANT
040 NM SOUTHWEST QUADRANT
020 NM NORTHWEST QUADRANT
VECTOR TO 36 HR POSIT: 155 DEG/ 02 KTS
---
36 HRS, VALID AT:
240600Z --- 20.0N 108.4E
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS - 035 KT, GUSTS 045 KT
WIND RADII VALID OVER OPEN WATER ONLY
RADIUS OF 034 KT WINDS - 030 NM NORTHEAST QUADRANT
030 NM SOUTHEAST QUADRANT
050 NM SOUTHWEST QUADRANT
030 NM NORTHWEST QUADRANT
VECTOR TO 48 HR POSIT: 105 DEG/ 02 KTS
---
EXTENDED OUTLOOK:
48 HRS, VALID AT:
241800Z --- 19.9N 108.8E
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS - 030 KT, GUSTS 040 KT
WIND RADII VALID OVER OPEN WATER ONLY
VECTOR TO 60 HR POSIT: 055 DEG/ 03 KTS
---
60 HRS, VALID AT:
250600Z --- 20.3N 109.4E
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS - 025 KT, GUSTS 035 KT
WIND RADII VALID OVER OPEN WATER ONLY
VECTOR TO 72 HR POSIT: 015 DEG/ 04 KTS
---
72 HRS, VALID AT:
251800Z --- 21.1N 109.6E
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS - 025 KT, GUSTS 035 KT
WIND RADII VALID OVER OPEN WATER ONLY
DISSIPATING AS A SIGNIFICANT TROPICAL CYCLONE OVER WATER
VECTOR TO 96 HR POSIT: 355 DEG/ 02 KTS
---
LONG RANGE OUTLOOK:
---
96 HRS, VALID AT:
261800Z --- 22.0N 109.5E
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS - 020 KT, GUSTS 030 KT
WIND RADII VALID OVER OPEN WATER ONLY
DISSIPATED AS A SIGNIFICANT TROPICAL CYCLONE OVER LAND
---
REMARKS:
222100Z POSITION NEAR 20.9N 108.3E.
22AUG26. TROPICAL DEPRESSION 18W (NARRA), LOCATED APPROXIMATELY
134 NM EAST OF HANOI, VIETNAM, HAS TRACKED NORTHWARD AT 02 KNOTS
OVER THE PAST SIX HOURS.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE AT 221800Z IS 995 MB. MAXIMUM
SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT AT 221800Z IS 10 FEET. NEXT WARNINGS AT
230300Z, 230900Z, 231500Z AND 232100Z.
REFER TO TYPHOON 17W (SAUDEL) WARNINGS (WTPN31 PGTW)
FOR SIX-HOURLY UPDATES.
REFER TO TROPICAL DEPRESSION 19W (NINETEEN) WARNINGS (WTPN33 PGTW)
FOR SIX-HOURLY UPDATES.//
NNNN
Forecast Reasoning 22 Aug 21:00 UTC
WDPN32 PGTW 222100 MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI// SUBJ/PROGNOSTIC REASONING FOR TROPICAL DEPRESSION 18W (NARRA) WARNING NR 009// RMKS/ 1. FOR METEOROLOGISTS. 2. 6 HOUR SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS. SUMMARY: INITIAL POSITION: 21.0N 108.3E INITIAL INTENSITY: 30 KTS GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: 134 NM EAST OF HANOI, VIETNAM MOVEMENT PAST 6 HOURS: NORTHWARD AT 02 KTS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT: 10 FEET SATELLITE ANALYSIS, INITIAL POSITION AND INTENSITY DISCUSSION: ANIMATED ENHANCED INFRARED (EIR) SATELLITE IMAGERY DEPICTS TROPICAL DEPRESSION (TD) 18W (NARRA) WITH PERSISTENT CIRRUS CLOUD COVER OVER THE ENTIRETY OF THE SYSTEM AND A LARGE AREA OF FLARING CONVECTION CENTERED TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE LOW LEVEL CIRCULATION (LLC), OVER THE COAST OF SOUTHERN CHINA AND NORTHEASTERN VIETNAM. RADAR IMAGERY INDICATES THE CIRCULATION IS BROAD AND ELONGATED, WITH THE STRONGEST BAND OF CONVECTION BEING POSITIONED OVER LAND IN VIETNAM AND WRAPPING AROUND THE WESTERN FLANK OF 18W. CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE ASSESSED AS MARGINAL, AS THE VERY WARM (30-31 C) SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES (SSTS) ARE OFFSET BY MODERATE (20 KTS) VERTICAL WIND SHEAR, WEAK POLEWARD OUTFLOW ALOFT, AND AN AREA OF DRIER AIR TO THE SOUTH OF THE SYSTEM. THE INITIAL POSITION IS PLACED WITH LOW CONFIDENCE BASED ON A COMBINATION OF RADAR IMAGERY AND AGENCY FIXES. THE INITIAL INTENSITY IS ASSESSED WITH MEDIUM CONFIDENCE BASED ON AGENCY DVORAK FIXES, CIMSS OBJECTIVE ESTIMATES, AND A SURFACE OBSERVATION FROM BACH LONG VY TO THE SOUTH OF 21 KTS WESTERLY AT 221800Z. INITIAL WIND RADII BASIS: NOT APPLICABLE (THERE ARE NO INITIAL WIND RADII). CURRENT STEERING MECHANISM: WEAK STEERING ENVIRONMENT COMPRISED OF A NEAR-EQUATORIAL RIDGE (NER) CENTERED TO THE SOUTHWEST AND A SUBTROPICAL RIDGE (STR) CENTERED TO THE NORTH. AGENCY DVORAK AND AUTOMATED FIXES: PGTW: T2.0 - 30 KTS RJTD: T2.0 - 30 KTS RCTP: T2.0 - 30 KTS KNES: T2.5 - 35 KTS CIMSS D-MINT: 37 KTS AT 221752Z CIMSS D-PRINT: 36 KTS AT 221810Z FORECASTER ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT ENVIRONMENT: MARGINAL VWS: 20-25 KTS SST: 30-31 CELSIUS OUTFLOW: WEAK EQUATORWARD ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE: INITIAL POSITION: LOW INITIAL INTENSITY: MEDIUM INITIAL WIND RADII: NOT APPLICABLE 3. FORECAST REASONING. SIGNIFICANT FORECAST CHANGES: THERE ARE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE FORECAST FROM THE PREVIOUS WARNING. FORECAST DISCUSSION: TD 18W IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE MEANDERING, GENERALLY COUNTERCLOCKWISE LOOP WITHIN THE GULF OF TONKIN FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD BEFORE MAKING LANDFALL AND DISSIPATING IN THE VICINITY OF BEIHAI BY TAU 96. AN ERRATIC TRACK IN THE SHORT-TERM IS EXPECTED AS 18W REMAINS IN A WEAK STEERING ENVIRONMENT BETWEEN THE INFLUENCE OF A NEAR-EQUATORIAL RIDGE (NER) CENTERED TO THE SOUTHWEST AND A SUBTROPICAL RIDGE (STR) CENTERED TO THE NORTH OF 18W. CURRENTLY, THE NER IS ASSESSED AS BEING A MORE DOMINANT FACTOR, CAUSING THE INITIAL SOUTHWARD MOVEMENT IN TRACK UNTIL TAU 48, AT WHICH POINT THE NER RETREATS TO THE SOUTHWEST AND THE STR CENTERED TO THE NORTH BUILDS AND CONNECTS WITH ANOTHER STR CENTERED OVER KYUSHU, CAUSING A POLEWARD TURN BY TAU 60 AND LANDFALL TO THE EAST OF THE LEIZHOU PENINSULA. REGARDING INTENSITY, TD 18W IS EXPECTED TO HAVE A SHORT WINDOW FOR INTENSIFICATION IN THE SHORT TERM AS THE VWS MOMENTARILY ABATES AND OUTFLOW ALOFT IMPROVES. THIS IS EXPECTED TO BE SHORT-LIVED, AND BY TAU 48 VWS WILL SHARPLY INCREASE TO OVER 25 KTS, INTRODUCING MID-LEVEL DRIER AIR, BEGINNING DISSIPATION OF TD 18W OVER WATER BY TAU 72 BEFORE IT MAKES LANDFALL AND DISSIPATES BY TAU 96. MODEL DISCUSSION: TRACK MODEL GUIDANCE IS IN POOR OVERALL AGREEMENT AS THERE CONTINUES TO BE A WIDE SPREAD OF EXPECTED DIRECTIONS AND TRACK SPEED, ALTHOUGH THERE REMAINS AGREEMENT ON THE GENERAL SOUTHWARD MOTION OF TD 18W OUT TO TAU 48. GFS IS THE WESTERNMOST SOLUTION AND MAINTAINS 18W OVER WATER FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. CONVERSELY, GALWEM AND THE EXPERIMENTAL GOOGLE DEEPMIND TAKE 18W THE FARTHEST EAST, DEPICTING POSSIBLE LANDFALL OVER NORTHERN HAINAN AND THE SOUTHERN TIP OF THE LEIZHOU PENINSULA BEFORE CONTINUING OUT INTO THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. THE OFFICIAL JTWC FORECAST TRACK IS PLACED WITH LOW CONFIDENCE, CLOSELY IN LINE WITH THE MULTI-MODEL CONSENSUS EXCLUDING NAVGEM, ALSO CLOSELY IN LINE WITH THE TRACK OF THE AI CONSENSUS, WHICH BOTH FALL WITHIN THE CENTER OF THE GUIDANCE PACKAGE. REGARDING INTENSITY, THE GFS AND ECMWF GLOBAL MODELS DEPICT DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL OUTLOOKS IN THE SHORT-TERM, LENDING SOME UNCERTAINTY TO THE INTENSITY FORECAST. ECMWF PREDICTS MORE FAVORABLE VWS FROM TAUS 12 TO 36, ALLOWING FOR TD 18W TO INTENSIFY, WHILE GFS IS MORE CONSERVATIVE, MAINTAINING VWS ABOVE 15 KTS DURING THIS PERIOD AND THUS LESS CHANCE FOR INTENSIFICATION. THE OFFICIAL JTWC INTENSITY FORECAST IS ASSESSED WITH LOW CONFIDENCE, CLOSELY IN LINE WITH THE DETERMINISTIC GFS SOLUTION. FORECAST CONFIDENCE: TRACK 00-72 HR: LOW TRACK 72-120 HR: LOW INTENSITY 00-72 HR: LOW INTENSITY 72-120 HR: LOW// NNNN
Products not available for West Pacific storms
- NEXRAD radar — no radar coverage over the open West Pacific.
- Storm-surge inundation — no public storm-surge model for this basin.
- Wind-speed probabilities — JTWC does not publish them.
- Watches and warnings — issued by local agencies (PAGASA, JMA, CWA), not JTWC.
- Reconnaissance aircraft — no routine aircraft reconnaissance in the West Pacific.
- Rapid-intensification and shear diagnostics — SHIPS-based guidance is not published for this basin.
These are data-availability limits for the West Pacific basin, not omissions.
Source: U.S. Navy/Air Force Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), via the UCAR Tropical Cyclone Guidance Project. JTWC data is in the public domain. · Updated 2026-08-22 20:55 UTC · JMA analysis: Source: Japan Meteorological Agency (10-minute average winds). Satellite imagery: CIRA/RAMMB.