NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed over the South China Sea and captured an image of newly formed Tropical Depression 08W near Hainan Island, China.
On July 21 the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard the NASA-NOAA Suomi NPP satellite captured a visible light image of the newly formed tropical cyclone. The VIIRS image revealed a slightly elongated storm. VIIRS collects visible and infrared imagery and global observations of land, atmosphere, cryosphere and oceans.
At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) on July 21, Tropical Depression 08W had maximum sustained winds near 34.5 mph (30 knots/55.5 kph). It was located near 18.2 degrees north latitude and 112.8 degrees east longitude, about 265 nautical miles south-southwest of Hong Kong, China. 08W was moving to the west-northwest at 6.9 mph (6 knots/11.1 kph).
Tropical Depression 08W is forecast to strengthen to a tropical storm before making landfall in southeastern Hainan Island around July 22 at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC). If the storm strengthens into a tropical storm it would be renamed "Roke."
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center expects the storm to then make a second landfall just north of Hanoi, Vietnam late on July 23.
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