On September 23, 2009, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), reported that a seasonal tropical

depression had formed about 860 km (530 mi) to the northwest of Palau.[10] The Joint Typhoon
Warning Center (JTWC) then reported later that day that the depression had a developing low-level
circulation center and was in a favorable environment with low vertical wind shear.[11] The JMA then
reported that the depression had weakened into an area of low pressure.[12] However, early the next
day, as deep convection started to consolidate around the low-level circulation center, the Philippine
Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported that the low-
pressure area had become a tropical depression and assigned it a local name of Ondoy.[13][14] Later
that morning, the JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert as central convection had continued
to organize around a consolidating elongated but exposed low-level circulation center.[15] The JMA
then re-upgraded Ondoy to a tropical depression later that morning before the JTWC followed suit early
on September 25, designating it as Tropical Depression 17W when it was located about 400 nm east of
Manila in the Philippines.[16][17] At this stage, the system was moving along the southern side of the
subtropical ridge and had good poleward outflow into a tropical upper tropospheric trough (TUTT) cell.
[17]

Tropical Storm Ketsana over the Philippines on September 26

Throughout September 25 the intensification of Ondoy was hampered by the system moving into an
area of moderate vertical wind shear and by an upper-level trough of pressure that was moving over the
system.[18] But later that day the JTWC upgraded it to a tropical storm despite its low level circulation
center being partially exposed.[19] The JMA followed suit early the next day, assigning the international
name of Ketsana and the international designation of 0916 to the storm.[20] PAGASA then reported that
Ketsana had made landfall on Northern Luzon near the boundary of the Philippine provinces of Aurora
and Quezon. As a result of making landfall, its low-level circulation center had become fully exposed, but
as the storm moved into the South China Sea, it dramatically deepened and expanded while moving
west and was upgraded to a severe tropical storm by the JMA early on September 27.