An area of disturbed weather developed southeast of Chuuk on November 24. Wind shear near the disturbance soon decreased, allowing the depression to organize a little. It was designated a tropical depression by Japan Meteorological Agency on November 25, and later that day the Joint Typhoon Warning Center started issuing warnings on the system as it moved west-northwest towards Yap. The depression strengthened because it was in an area of high sea-surface temperatures, and there were distinct cloud features of anticyclonic outflow, according to the JMA. It was upgraded to a tropical storm on the afternoon of November 26 and named Durian. The name Durian refers to a fruit, "Durio zibethinus", and was submitted to the naming list by Thailand.