Tropical Storm Jimena is being pushed west by strong vertical wind shear, affecting cloud top temperatures and thunderstorms. Forecasters expect the storm to gradually weaken over the next five days.
Typhoon Kilo maintained its clear eye with NASA's Terra satellite imagery on September 7. The storm's maximum sustained winds near 65 knots (74.8 mph/120.4 kph) are expected to strengthen to 75 knots before weakening, affecting Japan and Russia.
Typhoon Kilo's maximum sustained winds reached near 86.3 mph on September 4, 2015, with the storm centered near 23.4 North latitude and 175.7 East longitude. NASA's MODIS instrument aboard Aqua satellite provided a close-up of Typhoon Kilo's eye on September 3, revealing high clouds covering most of it.
Tropical Storm Ignacio is weakening as it moves over colder Pacific waters, with the Global Precipitation Measurement mission analyzing its precipitation patterns. The storm has decreased in intensity from a category four hurricane to a strong tropical storm, with maximum sustained winds near 75 mph.
Tropical Depression Fred is weakening due to strong upper-level winds, while a new low-pressure area called System 91L is moving westward across the tropical Atlantic. Forecasters expect System 91L to have a 40% chance of development in the next two days and 60% in five days.
Hurricane Jimena is expected to continue weakening due to dry air being drawn into the system and restrictions in its outflow. Cloud top temperatures indicate strong storms with potential for heavy rainfall.
Tropical Storm Kevin's center is located near the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. The storm is expected to weaken due to decreasing sea surface temperatures and increasing vertical wind shear, leading to a depression by September 6.
The 2015 Alaska fire season has surpassed 5 million acres burned, ranking No. 3 on record, and currently 768 fires are active across the state. The annual seasonal rain pattern is expected to help diminish fire activity.
Typhoon Kilo, the westernmost tropical cyclone in a four-storm cluster, is moving southwest and has maintained an eye with thick thunderstorms. NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image showing Kilo's symmetry and indicating it will re-intensify over the next few days.
Astronomers have found a similar percentage of newborn stars with specific masses in young clusters of the Andromeda galaxy compared to our own. This study, utilizing Hubble images and citizen scientist contributions, helps interpret distant galaxy light and understand star formation history.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image of Hurricane Ignacio with a re-developed eye and thick thunderstorms. The storm is moving northwest towards the north on Friday, with maximum sustained winds near 75 mph.
Hurricane Jimena's eyewall is eroding due to decreased rainfall rates observed by NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) core satellite. The storm weakened from a Category 4 to an estimated 110 mph maximum sustained winds, with hazardous surf expected along east-facing shores of the main Hawaiian Islands.
Tropical Storm Kevin strengthened due to rapidly increasing surface winds observed by NASA's RapidScat, now at maximum sustained speeds of near 40 mph. Forecasters expect minimal change in strength over the next day or so.
Tropical Storm Fred is being affected by strong upper-level westerly winds, which are pushing the highest thunderstorms southeast of the storm's center. The cyclone consists of a vigorous swirl of low clouds and has maximum sustained winds near 40 mph.
Tropical Depression 14E appears as an asymmetric mass of clouds and thunderstorms due to southwesterly vertical wind shear. Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph, with a potential for the depression to strengthen into a tropical storm.
Typhoon Kilo is moving slowly through the Northwestern Pacific Ocean with maximum sustained winds of near 90 knots. The storm is expected to re-strengthen and peak in intensity by September 6.
Satellite imagery shows Tropical Storm Fred losing its punch, with no strong thunderstorms developing in the storm. The RapidScat instrument measured the strongest winds tightly circling the center, but they are not indicative of a strengthening storm.
Tropical Storm Ignacio has weakened significantly, with maximum sustained winds near 70 mph, as it moves north of the Hawaiian Islands. The storm is expected to turn north-northwest late on September 3 and slow weakening is anticipated starting Thursday.
GPM captured Hurricane Jimena's intense eyewall, with the heaviest rainfall occurring on its northern and eastern sides. The storm maintained a strong system despite an eroded southern half of the eyewall.
Hurricane Ignacio is being affected by wind shear, weakening the storm. Infrared satellite data shows that southwesterly wind shear is pushing thunderstorms to the northeast, causing a 'warmer banding feature' across the western and northern semicircles.
Tropical Depression 14E forms in Eastern Pacific Ocean on September 1 with NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite. The depression features fragmented thunderstorms and a stretched cloud pattern indicating poor organization.
Hurricane Jimena is classified as a category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds near 130 mph. The Global Precipitation Measurement satellite detected a double eye-wall structure with evidence of erosion, indicating decay and weakening of the storm's inner eyewall.
Typhoon Kilo was classified as a Category 3 storm after crossing the International Date Line. NASA's Aqua satellite captured images of its clear eye surrounded by powerful thunderstorms. The typhoon is currently moving northwest and poses no threat to land areas, but is expected to intensify into a Category 4 storm by September 4.
Tropical Storm Fred has rapidly weakened to near 50mph due to increased wind shear and cooler sea surface temperatures. It is forecasted to become a tropical depression by late Wednesday, September 2, with potential dissipation by Friday.
Hurricane Kilo is a category four hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 135 mph, moving north-northwest at 10 mph. The storm is expected to cross the International Date Line into the Northwest Pacific Ocean later on August 31.
Hurricane Jimena maintained its large eye and powerful thunderstorms around it, with cloud-free eyes revealed by NASA's Aqua satellite. The storm's warm sea surface temperatures fueled its intensification, with NHC predicting little change in strength over the next day.
Hurricane Ignacio is weakening as it moves parallel to the Hawaiian Islands, with NASA's Aqua satellite providing valuable temperature data. The storm's cloud tops are expected to drop, leading to a decrease in heavy rainfall potential.
NASA's GPM mission detected intense rainfall near the center of Hurricane Fred on August 30, suggesting rapid intensification. The storm's 'hot towers' reached heights of up to 10 miles, releasing latent heat and fueling its growth into a hurricane.
NASA's GOES-East satellite tracked Tropical Storm Erika's movement from August 27 to August 29, showing its weakening as it passed through the Leeward Islands and into the Eastern Caribbean Sea. The storm's remnants are expected to produce heavy rainfall across portions of the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and eastern Cuba through Sunday.
Tropical Storm Erika was centered in the Eastern Caribbean Sea, affecting Puerto Rico and Hispaniola. The storm produced total rainfall accumulations of 3 to 6 inches with maximum amounts of 10 inches possible across portions of the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Heavy rainfall from Hurricane Ignacio was measured by NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) core satellite on August 27, with rates reaching over 60 mm per hour south of the eye. The storm is expected to slowly strengthen through late Saturday and peak at 110 mph on August 29.
Hurricane Jimena is rapidly intensifying due to its strong thunderstorms building up quickly, especially in its northern quadrant. The storm's maximum sustained winds are expected to reach 145 mph, making it a powerful Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.
Tropical Storm Kilo displays a giant comma shape in infrared imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite, indicating powerful thunderstorms with heavy rainfall potential. The storm is forecasted to strengthen and become a hurricane over the next couple of days.
Hurricane Ignacio strengthened to a hurricane after showing very cold cloud tops, indicating stronger uplift in tropical cyclones. The storm's maximum sustained winds increased to near 85 mph with forecasted peak strength on August 29.
Tropical Storm Kilo has bands of thunderstorms wrapped more than halfway around the system, affecting Johnston Island and expected to bring 5-10 inches of rainfall. Sea surface temperatures are near 29C, promoting strengthening and potential hurricane formation after passing the island.
Tropical Storm Jimena strengthens with deep convection and banding around its circulation. The storm is forecast to become a hurricane on August 27, with rapid intensification possible within the next 24 hours.
The GPM satellite captured intense rainfall rates of up to 52.8 mm per hour, with embedded convection necessary for storm strengthening, but displaced due to wind shear. The storm's low-level center was located northwest of the rain field, hindering intensification.
The Pacific Northwest is experiencing severe wildfires in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, with over 27 fires listed in the Inciweb database for Washington state. The largest active fire, Okanogan Complex Fire, has grown to 256,567 acres and is only 10% contained.
The remnants of Typhoon Atsani triggered watches for heavy rain and snow in parts of Alaska on August 26, 2015. Cloud top temperatures indicated strong storms with potential for heavy rainfall, particularly near -63F/-53C.
Tropical Storm Ignacio strengthened to a storm with heavy rain rates of over 74 mm per hour, posing no threat to land areas. Its westward motion is expected to continue, with an increased forward speed and potential turn toward the west-northwest.
The James Webb Space Telescope's flight backplane has arrived at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, marking a significant step towards the telescope's 2018 launch. The backplane will hold the telescope's 18 hexagonal mirrors and instruments steady while observing deep space.
The Global Precipitation Measurement mission saw intense rainfall near hurricane Loke's center, with measurements showing over 160 mm/h. The storm's top heights reached above 15.3 km, and it is forecast to accelerate toward the northwest before undergoing transition to an extra-tropical low.
Tropical Storm Erika is expected to produce 2-4 inches of rain and slow strengthening over the next 48 hours. The storm's center will move near or over parts of the Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico from August 26-28.
Hurricane Loke is moving north in the Central Pacific, producing rough surf and large swells that will affect reefs and shorelines. The storm is expected to weaken to a tropical storm by Wednesday, August 26, as it moves towards the northwest.
Tropical Cyclone Atsani transitioning into an extra-tropical low with potential for heavy rainfall in eastern Russia. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued its final bulletin on August 26, predicting landfall south of eastern Russia.
A new NASA study reveals that the presence of vegetation is crucial in mitigating urban heat island effects, which can raise temperatures by 1.9°C in urban areas compared to surrounding rural areas. The study found that replacing impervious surfaces with vegetation can reduce temperature differences by up to 1.3°C.
NASA's GPM and NOAA's GOES satellites provide insights into Tropical Storm Erika's rainfall patterns and cloud structure. The storm is expected to approach the Leeward Islands on Wednesday night, prompting a Tropical Storm Watch for several Caribbean islands.
Typhoon Goni covered the southern half of the Sea of Japan, with its center located near 35.3 North latitude and 131.0 East longitude. The storm was expected to weaken and become extra-tropical as it moved north, making landfall near Vladivostok, Russia on August 26.
Researchers confirm coronal heating mechanism using observations from NASA's IRIS and Japan's Hinode solar observatory. Resonant absorption process converts magnetic waves into heat energy, explaining why the sun's corona is hotter than its surface.
Tropical Depression Kilo has recently become more energetic, with heavy rainfall rates of almost 65 mm/hour detected by NASA's GPM Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar. The depression's storm tops were also found to be very tall, measuring over 15.4 km altitude.