Articles tagged with Tropical Cyclones
Cyclone Zane is forecasted to make landfall in northeastern Queensland on May 2, bringing strong winds and tropical storm conditions. The cyclone's maximum sustained winds were near 55 knots (63.2 mph) on May 1, with a brief weakening expected before landfall.
Infrared data captured by NASA's AIRS instrument revealed the rapid development of Tropical Storm Zane in the Southwestern Pacific Ocean. The storm is expected to make landfall in northeastern Queensland on May 1 at cyclone strength, bringing warnings and watches for coastal areas.
A new metric called Track Integrated Kinetic Energy (TIKE) measures the destructive potential of hurricanes by considering storm size, duration, and intensity. TIKE provides a more accurate picture of hurricane activity than existing metrics, which could help emergency managers and businesses prepare for storms.
New NASA satellite imagery shows Cyclone Imelda's strongest thunderstorms and precipitation located east of the storm's center. An upper-level trough is causing subsidence, preventing clouds from forming as air sinks to the surface.
Cyclone Victoria was torn apart by strong wind shear, with TRMM spotting limited rainfall areas. The storm dissipated due to interaction with cool waters.
Cyclone Victoria appears as a 'J' shape due to thunderstorms wrapping around the eastern side of the storm. The cyclone is weakening rapidly due to wind shear and dropping sea surface temperatures.
Cyclone Victoria intensified overnight with a tighter storm circulation and possible eye formation, according to NASA imagery from April 10, 2013. The cyclone is located near Australia, moving south-southeast at 8 knots, and is in an area of low wind shear but will face increased wind shear as it heads further south.
Cyclone Tim has matured into Tropical Storm Tim over the Coral Sea, with NASA tracking its movement and predicting intensification. The storm is expected to pass east of Willis Island and then head toward Queensland Australia's east coast.
NASA's TRMM satellite detected a significant drop in rainfall intensity of Cyclone Sandra from March 11 to 13, with the heaviest rain falling south of the storm's center. The weakening tropical cyclone moved into an area of high wind shear and cold sea surface temperatures, expected to transform it into a cold-core system.
Heavy rainfall rates of 2 inches/50 mm per hour were observed around the center of circulation, with powerful thunderstorms reaching heights of 9.3 miles (15 kilometers). The tropical storm strengthened and moved east-northeast at 11 knots (12.6 mph/20.3 kph), affecting New Caledonia by March 11.
NASA's Aqua satellite data reveals Tropical Cyclone 18S continues to experience wind shear, pushing precipitation away from its center. The storm's main convection is being hindered by strong easterly vertical wind shear, affecting its ability to consolidate and intensify.
Tropical Storm 18S formed over the weekend of Feb. 23-24 with maximum sustained winds near 35 knots (40 mph) and powerful thunderstorms around its core. The storm is currently headed in a similar direction to Cyclone Rusty, which is nearing landfall in northwestern West Australia.
Cyclone Rusty is a large tropical cyclone approaching Western Australia, causing warnings and alerts for residents. The storm's slow movement will result in higher than usual rainfall and flooding, as well as very rough surf and coastal erosion.
Tropical Storm Haruna formed on Feb. 19 after four days of organization, with maximum sustained winds near 35 knots. NASA satellites provided visible and infrared imagery that helped forecasters track the system's development.
Cyclone Gino's rainfall is being pushed away from its center due to vertical wind shear. The heaviest rain fell southeast of the center at 2 inches per hour. Cyclone Gino may weaken quickly as it transitions into an extra-tropical storm.
Tropical Cyclone Haley formed on Feb 10 with maximum sustained winds strengthening to 45 knots, but convection weakened around the center. The storm moved southeast at 11 knots, then dissipated due to wind shear and cooler sea surface temperatures by Tuesday, Feb 12.
Tropical Cyclone 15S formed from System 92S on Feb. 9 and intensified into a tropical storm on Feb. 11. The storm strengthened to hurricane force within two days, but is expected to weaken due to wind shear and cooler waters.
Cyclone Felleng formed over the Mozambique Channel and transitioned into a cold core low pressure area, with NASA's TRMM satellite capturing its rainfall rates. The storm dissipated in the next couple of days as it moved south-southeast in the open waters of the Southern Indian Ocean.
Cyclone Garry's powerful thunderstorms fueled heavy rainfall over the open waters of the Southern Pacific Ocean. The storm was predicted to weaken while moving toward the southeast, eventually becoming an extra-tropical cyclone.
Tropical Cyclone Garry continues to intensify due to favorable conditions, with microwave satellite imagery confirming deep convection around its low-level circulation center. The storm is expected to briefly reach cyclone strength before wind shear weakens and dissipates it.
Tropical Storm Peta formed off the coast of Port Hedland, Australia on January 22, 2013, with rain rates reaching up to 94 mm per hour. The storm strengthened into a tropical depression before making landfall and dissipating over land, weakening its structure.
Tropical Storm Emang showed sinking air in its southwestern quadrant, weakening convection. The storm's low-level center became slightly elongated, hindering intensification, but forecasters expect improved atmospheric conditions to strengthen the storm.
Tropical Cyclone Emang developed with strong convection and moderate to heavy rainfall around its center. The storm is expected to slowly intensify over the next couple of days as it travels over open ocean, reaching peak intensity by the end of the week.
Tropical Cyclone Narelle has formed a well-formed storm center with an approximately 15 nautical mile-wide eye, according to NASA's Terra satellite. The cyclone's maximum sustained winds have increased to 115 knots, making it a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.
Tropical Cyclone Narelle is gaining strength as it approaches the northern coast of Western Australia, with NASA tracking its movement and expected impact. The cyclone is predicted to bring heavy rainfall and rough seas, posing a threat to coastal communities and causing erosion and flooding.
Tropical Cyclone Narelle is intensifying as it moves southwest paralleling the Western Australian coastline, according to NASA satellite imagery. The cyclone is expected to strengthen over the next two days, bringing gales with gusts of up to 100 kph and heavy rainfall along the Pilbara coastline.
Tropical Cyclone Narelle intensified into a tropical storm after NASA's TRMM satellite detected strong thunderstorms and 'hot towers' indicating intensification. The storm is expected to continue intensifying, potentially reaching wind speeds of 130 knots in three days.
NASA's Aqua satellite detected a tropical depression with reduced cloud cover due to dry air, indicating a rapidly deteriorating low-level circulation center. The storm is expected to dissipate over the next couple of days in the South China Sea due to wind shear and dry air
Cyclone Dumile is moving southward over the open ocean, generating rough seas with wave heights of up to 32 feet. The storm's eye has become ragged, indicating it may weaken as it transitions to an extra-tropical storm.
Cyclone Dumile made landfall on La Reunion and Mauritius, bringing heavy rain, strong winds, and rough seas. The storm's eye had formed by Jan. 2, with satellite imagery showing a ring of coldest clouds around the center.
Tropical Depression Sonamu forms in western North Pacific Ocean, located about 185 nautical miles northwest of Zamboanga, Philippines. The storm is expected to cross southern Palawan before moving into the open waters of the South China Sea.
Cyclone Freda intensified over the Southern Pacific Ocean due to warming waters, with NASA satellites measuring increased rainfall and a widening eye. The storm's maximum sustained winds reached 105 knots, posing a threat to Vanuatu with heavy rainfall and gusty winds.
Cyclone Evan has been blown apart by strong wind shear, a rare and devastating occurrence for the region. The storm's remnants were captured by NOAA's GOES-15 satellite on December 20, revealing the extreme impact of wind shear on its structure.
A NASA TRMM satellite found an unusually tall storm-cell in Cyclone Evan's eyewall, extending 17 km above the ocean surface. This rare feature was previously thought to occur only over land, but continuous observations have revealed its existence over the ocean.
TRMM satellite data shows a complete eyewall in Tropical Cyclone Evan, suggesting rare system strength. Radar reflectivity analysis indicates the storm did not intensify despite a strong radar signal.
Tropical Cyclone Evan is intensifying, bringing hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall to the Samoan Islands. The storm's clear eye wall is generating intense rainfall rates of over 80 mm per hour.
Tropical Cyclone Evan's eye-like structure was observed on Dec. 11 by TRMM's Precipitation Radar, indicating powerful storms and heavy rainmakers. By Dec. 13, Evan had intensified, with maximum sustained winds reaching 90 knots, and its eye being approximately 6 nautical miles wide.
Tropical Cyclone Claudia is currently located near 14.3 south latitude and 75.4 east longitude, about 445 nautical miles south of Diego Garcia. The storm is expected to weaken over the weekend due to cooler waters and increasing vertical wind shear.
Tropical Depression 26W is threatening islands within Micronesia with heavy rain and strong winds. NASA's TRMM satellite imagery showed large, fragmented thunderstorms containing heavy rain and towering convective towers indicating intensification.
Tropical Depression Nilam has covered southern India with its clouds, stretching from Chennai to Kerala, according to NASA's MODIS image. Heavy rainfall is expected over Rayalaseema, Karnataka, and south coastal Andhra Pradesh before the storm dissipates.
Tropical Cyclone Nilam brought heavy rainfall to Sri Lanka, with cloud top temperatures as cold as -63F (-52C), indicative of intense storms. The cyclone's center was forecast to make landfall in Tamil Nadu, India, on October 30.
The TRMM satellite provided valuable insights into Hurricane Sandy's properties, including a weak eyewall with modest precipitation and relatively light updrafts. The satellite also detected vigorous storm cells in the super-sized rainband extending to the west and north of the hurricane's center.
Tropical Storm Tony is weakening as its cloud top temperatures rise, signaling a shift towards dissipating over the weekend. The storm's organization and deep convection are being disrupted by strong winds and cooler waters, leading to its expected dissipation on October 27-28.
Tropical Storm Murjan made landfall on October 25 in eastern Somalia, just south of Cape Guardafui. The storm's western half brought thunderstorms with cloud top temperatures as cold as -63F (-52C), potentially leading to heavy rainfall.
The TRMM satellite monitored rainfall and towering clouds as the first tropical cyclone of the season formed in the Arabian Sea. Rainfall rates reached up to 41 mm/hour, with thunderstorms surrounding the center of the storm.
Tropical Depression 18 (TD18) formed in the southwestern Caribbean Sea on Oct. 22, according to NASA's TRMM satellite. The depression has a 'hot towering' thunderstorm indicating potential intensification within 6 hours.
Prapiroon, a large and powerful storm in the western North Pacific, has transitioned into an extra-tropical cyclone. The storm is expected to weaken over the next few days, eventually fading away from view.
Hurricane Rafael's northwestern fringe clouds brushed Nova Scotia, Canada, just days before merging with the cold front, generating life-threatening ocean swells. The storm's transformation into an extra-tropical cyclone was characterized by a shift in its core system.
Tropical Storm Maria has a large area of moderate to heavy rainfall, with most rain occurring northeast of the storm's center. The TRMM satellite measured rainfall rates between 0.78-1.57 inches/hour and 2 inches/hour in a small area.
Tropical Cyclone Anais has strengthened over the weekend of Oct. 13-14, packing sustained winds near 100 knots. The storm is expected to move past La Reunion Island while weakening due to cooler waters and increased wind shear in the coming days.
A study published in PNAS found that tropical cyclones have been increasing in frequency since 1923, correlating with rising global temperatures. The research used monitoring stations along the Eastern Seaboard of the US to track changes in sea levels and storm surges.
The first tropical cyclone of the Southern Indian Ocean season has been spotted by NASA's TRMM satellite, with maximum sustained winds near 35 knots. The system is expected to continue intensifying over the next three days before wind shear increases.
Typhoon Prapiroon intensified into a typhoon with maximum sustained winds near 75 mph on Oct. 9, according to NASA satellite imagery. The storm's eye feature was spotted using microwave imagery, indicating it is expected to continue intensifying over the next several days.
Tropical Storm Olivia formed on Oct 6, 2012, near Baja California, but weakened due to adverse atmospheric conditions. The storm dissipated as a remnant low-pressure system on Oct 9, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph.
NASA's TRMM satellite observed very little rainfall in Nadine on its final pass before dissolution on October 4, 2012. Nadine was producing light to moderate rainfall east of its center when a cold front approached, contributing to its demise.
Nadine, a tropical cyclone, was monitored by NASA's TRMM satellite before its dissipation on October 4, 2012. The satellite showed minimal rainfall remaining in the storm, indicating its impending demise.
The HS3 mission has provided valuable insights into the characteristics of long-lived tropical cyclones like Hurricane Nadine. The Global Hawk aircraft gathered data on Nadine's winds, temperature, and humidity, helping scientists understand how these storms can intensify despite being affected by dry air and strong westerly winds.
Tropical Storm Maliksi put the finishing touches on Japan by brushing its northern Tohoku and Hokkaido prefectures. The storm is transitioning to an extra-tropical cold core system, expected to become a cold-core storm later.
NASA's TRMM satellite observed the heaviest rainfall in Tropical Storm Gaemi surrounding its center, with rates reaching 2 inches per hour. The storm is expected to make landfall south of Hue, Vietnam on October 6, bringing deteriorating coastal conditions.
The study used NASA's Aqua satellite to compare the two storms, showing Jelawat's strong circulation and cold cloud top temperatures, while Ewiniar appears asymmetrical with a long 'tail' of thunderstorms.