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Rare South Atlantic Tropical …
Title Rare South Atlantic Tropical Cyclone
Description During its daytime overpass of the southeast coast of Brazil on March 26, 2004, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite captured this surprising sight: a tropical cyclone. The South Atlantic is generally not thought of by meteorologists as a place where tropical cyclones can form. The water temperatures are generally too cool and the vertical wind shear too strong. The area is so devoid of tropical storm activity that no government agency has an official warning system for storms there, which is why this storm is unnamed. In this image, the storm is at roughly 28 degrees South Latitude, southeast of the city of Curitaba, which makes a tan splotch against the green vegetation at the top of the image, left of center. According to Dr. Greg Holland, a meteorological researcher currently with Radiosonde North America, it's unlikely—though not impossible—that the storm will make landfall in Brazil given the strong westerly winds that are typical of the region's weather patterns. "There have been reports in the past of storms with tropical characteristics in that region," he says, "so I would be very amazed if this is truly the first cyclone ever. However, it is the first time we have ever had such solid observations of a tropical storm there." According to Holland, wind speed observations from QuickSat on March 26 showed maximum surface winds of about 50 knots, but the satellite wasn't positioned to observe the part of the eye where the highest wind speeds would be expected. So it is possible that the storm is near the 65-knot-wind-threshold for being a Category 1 hurricane. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Rare South Atlantic Tropical …
Title Rare South Atlantic Tropical Cyclone
Description During its daytime overpass of the southeast coast of Brazil on March 26, 2004, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite captured this surprising sight: a tropical cyclone. The South Atlantic is generally not thought of by meteorologists as a place where tropical cyclones can form. The water temperatures are generally too cool and the vertical wind shear too strong. The area is so devoid of tropical storm activity that no government agency has an official warning system for storms there, which is why this storm is unnamed. In this image, the storm is at roughly 28 degrees South Latitude, southeast of the city of Curitaba, which makes a tan splotch against the green vegetation at the top of the image, left of center. According to Dr. Greg Holland, a meteorological researcher currently with Radiosonde North America, it's unlikely—though not impossible—that the storm will make landfall in Brazil given the strong westerly winds that are typical of the region's weather patterns. "There have been reports in the past of storms with tropical characteristics in that region," he says, "so I would be very amazed if this is truly the first cyclone ever. However, it is the first time we have ever had such solid observations of a tropical storm there." According to Holland, wind speed observations from QuickSat on March 26 showed maximum surface winds of about 50 knots, but the satellite wasn't positioned to observe the part of the eye where the highest wind speeds would be expected. So it is possible that the storm is near the 65-knot-wind-threshold for being a Category 1 hurricane. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Rare South Atlantic Tropical …
Title Rare South Atlantic Tropical Cyclone
Description (blue areas) with only a few, localized areas of moderate intensity rain (green areas). The next image (top right) taken over two days later at 12:01 UTC on the 26th shows that the storm had become much better organized with an eye apparent in the IR data. A long rainband continues to spiral out from the center extending well out ahead of system as it continues to track off to the west. The PR did not pass over the center in this image, but the TMI indicates a broad, but weak, area of rainfall south of the center. The third image (bottom left) was taken less than a day later at 06:11 UTC on the 27th. The storm now has a clearly defined eye in the IR data, and this time the PR passes directly over the center revealing a nearly complete eyewall with mostly moderate intensity rain (green area) in the southern portion and well-defined spiral banding in the rainfield surrounding the eye with a couple of localized areas of heavy (red areas) rainfall. An estimate by the AMSU (Advanced Microwave Sensor Unit) satellite put the storm's central pressure at 979 mb, equivalent to a minimal Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The final images (bottom right and link) were taken at 11:00 UTC on the 27th of March as the storm was nearing the coast of southern Brazil. It now has a large, well-defined eye and a complete eyewall though rainrates in the eyewall are not particularly intense. The IR image also shows that the storm has a well-developed outflow pattern as cirrus clouds extend out to the west and south of the center. The final image shows a vertical slice through the center. It reveals mainly moderate intensity (yellow areas) rain with an embedded area of heavy rain (red area) in the western eyewall. A single area of intense rain (darker red area) appears in an outer rainband east of the center. For additional images, please visit the TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] web site. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC)., Since the beginning of the satellite era in the mid-1960's, no hurricane has ever been observed in the South Atlantic according to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center. But on Sunday morning, March 28th, 2004, a storm struck the Brazilian coast that may have changed all of that as forecasters believe it to be the first hurricane ever recorded in that region of the world. The unnamed storm made landfall near the town of Torres just south of the resort town of Laguna in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, about 500 miles south of Rio de Janeiro. There were reports of winds as high as 100 kph (62 mph) in the area. So far reports indicate that 2 persons were killed by the storm with 500 homes destroyed and 20,000 homes damaged leaving 1500 people homeless. The search also goes on for 11 fisherman missing at sea after their 2 boats sank in 13-foot seas off the coast. There is some debate, however, as to whether this storm was actually a true hurricane. Typically, strong wind shear in this part of the South Atlantic makes conditions unfavorable for tropical storm development. However, as has often been seen in the North Atlantic, extratropical systems that move over warm waters can become transformed into tropical systems and take on tropical characteristics. This storm appears to have originated as an extratropical low that moved off the Brazilian coast on the 20th that then became "cutoff", meaning it became separated from the the main air flow, on the 22nd of March. Sea surface temperatures were in the mid-70s (in degrees Fahrenheit), about the minimum needed for tropical storm formation. Meteorologists refer to tropical low pressure centers as warm cores because the air in the center of the circulation is warmer then the surrounding environmental air. Extratropical cyclones are typically cold core. The Brazilian weather service believes that the storm was extratropical in nature. As such a storm had thus far never been recorded in that area, there were no aircraft available to study the storm, leaving satellites to do the job of estimating its strength and structure. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite is designed to measure rainfall over the global tropics using the combination of a microwave sensor and the first and only precipitation radar in space. TRMM was able to capture several unique images of the storm as it made its way through the South Atlantic. The first image (top left) was taken at 12:13 UTC on 24 March 2004. It shows the horizontal distribution of rain rates as seen from above by the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). These rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). It shows a comma-shaped cloud pattern indicative of an area of low pressure, but there is no indication of an eye and rain rates are mostly weak
Rare South Atlantic Tropical …
Title Rare South Atlantic Tropical Cyclone
Description (blue areas) with only a few, localized areas of moderate intensity rain (green areas). The next image (top right) taken over two days later at 12:01 UTC on the 26th shows that the storm had become much better organized with an eye apparent in the IR data. A long rainband continues to spiral out from the center extending well out ahead of system as it continues to track off to the west. The PR did not pass over the center in this image, but the TMI indicates a broad, but weak, area of rainfall south of the center. The third image (bottom left) was taken less than a day later at 06:11 UTC on the 27th. The storm now has a clearly defined eye in the IR data, and this time the PR passes directly over the center revealing a nearly complete eyewall with mostly moderate intensity rain (green area) in the southern portion and well-defined spiral banding in the rainfield surrounding the eye with a couple of localized areas of heavy (red areas) rainfall. An estimate by the AMSU (Advanced Microwave Sensor Unit) satellite put the storm's central pressure at 979 mb, equivalent to a minimal Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The final images (bottom right and link) were taken at 11:00 UTC on the 27th of March as the storm was nearing the coast of southern Brazil. It now has a large, well-defined eye and a complete eyewall though rainrates in the eyewall are not particularly intense. The IR image also shows that the storm has a well-developed outflow pattern as cirrus clouds extend out to the west and south of the center. The final image shows a vertical slice through the center. It reveals mainly moderate intensity (yellow areas) rain with an embedded area of heavy rain (red area) in the western eyewall. A single area of intense rain (darker red area) appears in an outer rainband east of the center. For additional images, please visit the TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] web site. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC)., Since the beginning of the satellite era in the mid-1960's, no hurricane has ever been observed in the South Atlantic according to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center. But on Sunday morning, March 28th, 2004, a storm struck the Brazilian coast that may have changed all of that as forecasters believe it to be the first hurricane ever recorded in that region of the world. The unnamed storm made landfall near the town of Torres just south of the resort town of Laguna in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, about 500 miles south of Rio de Janeiro. There were reports of winds as high as 100 kph (62 mph) in the area. So far reports indicate that 2 persons were killed by the storm with 500 homes destroyed and 20,000 homes damaged leaving 1500 people homeless. The search also goes on for 11 fisherman missing at sea after their 2 boats sank in 13-foot seas off the coast. There is some debate, however, as to whether this storm was actually a true hurricane. Typically, strong wind shear in this part of the South Atlantic makes conditions unfavorable for tropical storm development. However, as has often been seen in the North Atlantic, extratropical systems that move over warm waters can become transformed into tropical systems and take on tropical characteristics. This storm appears to have originated as an extratropical low that moved off the Brazilian coast on the 20th that then became "cutoff", meaning it became separated from the the main air flow, on the 22nd of March. Sea surface temperatures were in the mid-70s (in degrees Fahrenheit), about the minimum needed for tropical storm formation. Meteorologists refer to tropical low pressure centers as warm cores because the air in the center of the circulation is warmer then the surrounding environmental air. Extratropical cyclones are typically cold core. The Brazilian weather service believes that the storm was extratropical in nature. As such a storm had thus far never been recorded in that area, there were no aircraft available to study the storm, leaving satellites to do the job of estimating its strength and structure. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite is designed to measure rainfall over the global tropics using the combination of a microwave sensor and the first and only precipitation radar in space. TRMM was able to capture several unique images of the storm as it made its way through the South Atlantic. The first image (top left) was taken at 12:13 UTC on 24 March 2004. It shows the horizontal distribution of rain rates as seen from above by the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). These rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). It shows a comma-shaped cloud pattern indicative of an area of low pressure, but there is no indication of an eye and rain rates are mostly weak
Rare South Atlantic Tropical …
Title Rare South Atlantic Tropical Cyclone
Description NASA's Quick Scatterometer spacecraft and its SeaWinds instrument tracked the development of an unusual storm in the South Atlantic ocean for several days at the end of March 2004. The storm was declared a hurricane before it came ashore in Brazil, though its status as a hurricane is being contested. The storm caused considerable damage, including some deaths. This was the first hurricane observed in the South Atlantic since the start of meteorological satellites in the sixties. In the image captured on March 27, 2004, white arrows representing wind speed and direction are superimposed on the color image of wind speeds. Image and caption coutesy of W. Timothy Liu at JPL, Project Scientist of QuikSCAT.
Tropical Cyclone 01A
Title Tropical Cyclone 01A
Description Cyclone 01A hovered just off the west coast of India this past week slowly drifting parallel to the coastline without coming ashore. It began as a weak depression that formed on the 4th of May 2004 about 200 km east of the southwest coast of India in the Laccadive Sea. The system strengthened into a tropical storm the next day on the 5th with winds estimated at 35 knots (40 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. On the 7th and 8th, the stormed reached its peak intensity of just 45 knots (52 mph) before weakening back into a depression on the 10th. The storm was responsible for 5 deaths in India from heavy rains. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite captured several images of the cyclone as it drifted northward in the western Indian Ocean. The first image taken at 21:25 UTC on 5 May 2004 shows rainfall within the storm as seen by the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), and rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). This first image shows that the rain field associated with the storm is very asymmetrical with almost all of the rain falling west of the center, which lacks an eyewall, a characteristic of immature or weaker systems. Several patches of intense rain (darker reds) are embedded within a broad shield of moderate (green) to light rain (blue). The second image taken at 11:20 UTC on the 7th shows the system has not become any better organized. The area of heavy rain (dark red) is consolidated into one band, but there is still no evidence of an eyewall. In the final snapshot at 11:07 UTC on the 9th, the center is now completely devoid of rainfall without which the storm cannot survive as tropical cyclones rely on heat released from the conversion of water vapor to fuel their circulations. This image does reveal that the system is still capable of producing heavy rains over land well away from the center as shown by the dark red areas over the coastline. The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center monitors rainfall over the global tropics. The last image gives MPA rainfall totals for the period 3-11 May 2004 associated with the passage of the cyclone. The highest amounts on the order of 12 inches fell over water (dark red areas). However, some coastal areas in the state of Gujarat did receive up to 9 inches locally (red areas) with several areas receiving between 3 and 6 inches (green areas). TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Tropical Cyclone 01A
Title Tropical Cyclone 01A
Description Cyclone 01A hovered just off the west coast of India this past week slowly drifting parallel to the coastline without coming ashore. It began as a weak depression that formed on the 4th of May 2004 about 200 km east of the southwest coast of India in the Laccadive Sea. The system strengthened into a tropical storm the next day on the 5th with winds estimated at 35 knots (40 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. On the 7th and 8th, the stormed reached its peak intensity of just 45 knots (52 mph) before weakening back into a depression on the 10th. The storm was responsible for 5 deaths in India from heavy rains. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite captured several images of the cyclone as it drifted northward in the western Indian Ocean. The first image taken at 21:25 UTC on 5 May 2004 shows rainfall within the storm as seen by the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), and rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). This first image shows that the rain field associated with the storm is very asymmetrical with almost all of the rain falling west of the center, which lacks an eyewall, a characteristic of immature or weaker systems. Several patches of intense rain (darker reds) are embedded within a broad shield of moderate (green) to light rain (blue). The second image taken at 11:20 UTC on the 7th shows the system has not become any better organized. The area of heavy rain (dark red) is consolidated into one band, but there is still no evidence of an eyewall. In the final snapshot at 11:07 UTC on the 9th, the center is now completely devoid of rainfall without which the storm cannot survive as tropical cyclones rely on heat released from the conversion of water vapor to fuel their circulations. This image does reveal that the system is still capable of producing heavy rains over land well away from the center as shown by the dark red areas over the coastline. The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center monitors rainfall over the global tropics. The last image gives MPA rainfall totals for the period 3-11 May 2004 associated with the passage of the cyclone. The highest amounts on the order of 12 inches fell over water (dark red areas). However, some coastal areas in the state of Gujarat did receive up to 9 inches locally (red areas) with several areas receiving between 3 and 6 inches (green areas). TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Tropical Cyclone 01A
Title Tropical Cyclone 01A
Description Cyclone 01A hovered just off the west coast of India this past week slowly drifting parallel to the coastline without coming ashore. It began as a weak depression that formed on the 4th of May 2004 about 200 km east of the southwest coast of India in the Laccadive Sea. The system strengthened into a tropical storm the next day on the 5th with winds estimated at 35 knots (40 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. On the 7th and 8th, the stormed reached its peak intensity of just 45 knots (52 mph) before weakening back into a depression on the 10th. The storm was responsible for 5 deaths in India from heavy rains. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite captured several images of the cyclone as it drifted northward in the western Indian Ocean. The first image taken at 21:25 UTC on 5 May 2004 shows rainfall within the storm as seen by the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), and rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). This first image shows that the rain field associated with the storm is very asymmetrical with almost all of the rain falling west of the center, which lacks an eyewall, a characteristic of immature or weaker systems. Several patches of intense rain (darker reds) are embedded within a broad shield of moderate (green) to light rain (blue). The second image taken at 11:20 UTC on the 7th shows the system has not become any better organized. The area of heavy rain (dark red) is consolidated into one band, but there is still no evidence of an eyewall. In the final snapshot at 11:07 UTC on the 9th, the center is now completely devoid of rainfall without which the storm cannot survive as tropical cyclones rely on heat released from the conversion of water vapor to fuel their circulations. This image does reveal that the system is still capable of producing heavy rains over land well away from the center as shown by the dark red areas over the coastline. The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center monitors rainfall over the global tropics. The last image gives MPA rainfall totals for the period 3-11 May 2004 associated with the passage of the cyclone. The highest amounts on the order of 12 inches fell over water (dark red areas). However, some coastal areas in the state of Gujarat did receive up to 9 inches locally (red areas) with several areas receiving between 3 and 6 inches (green areas). TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Tropical Cyclone 01A
Title Tropical Cyclone 01A
Description Cyclone 01A hovered just off the west coast of India this past week slowly drifting parallel to the coastline without coming ashore. It began as a weak depression that formed on the 4th of May 2004 about 200 km east of the southwest coast of India in the Laccadive Sea. The system strengthened into a tropical storm the next day on the 5th with winds estimated at 35 knots (40 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. On the 7th and 8th, the stormed reached its peak intensity of just 45 knots (52 mph) before weakening back into a depression on the 10th. The storm was responsible for 5 deaths in India from heavy rains. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite captured several images of the cyclone as it drifted northward in the western Indian Ocean. The first image taken at 21:25 UTC on 5 May 2004 shows rainfall within the storm as seen by the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), and rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). This first image shows that the rain field associated with the storm is very asymmetrical with almost all of the rain falling west of the center, which lacks an eyewall, a characteristic of immature or weaker systems. Several patches of intense rain (darker reds) are embedded within a broad shield of moderate (green) to light rain (blue). The second image taken at 11:20 UTC on the 7th shows the system has not become any better organized. The area of heavy rain (dark red) is consolidated into one band, but there is still no evidence of an eyewall. In the final snapshot at 11:07 UTC on the 9th, the center is now completely devoid of rainfall without which the storm cannot survive as tropical cyclones rely on heat released from the conversion of water vapor to fuel their circulations. This image does reveal that the system is still capable of producing heavy rains over land well away from the center as shown by the dark red areas over the coastline. The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center monitors rainfall over the global tropics. The last image gives MPA rainfall totals for the period 3-11 May 2004 associated with the passage of the cyclone. The highest amounts on the order of 12 inches fell over water (dark red areas). However, some coastal areas in the state of Gujarat did receive up to 9 inches locally (red areas) with several areas receiving between 3 and 6 inches (green areas). TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Tropical Cyclone 05A
Title Tropical Cyclone 05A
Description The MODIS instrument onboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of Tropical Cyclone Agni (05A) at 09:15 UTC on November 30, 2004 in the Indian Ocean. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team.
Tropical Cyclone Baaz Approa …
Title Tropical Cyclone Baaz Approaches India
Description On November 29, 2005, a tropical cyclone brewed in the Bay of Bengal off the southern coast of India near the island of Sri Lanka. This image of the organizing storm, called Baaz, was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on Tuesday, November 29, at 5:05 UTC (10:35 a.m. local time). The storm does not have the classical cyclone shape in the image, but some arcing bands of clouds are beginning to take shape to the northeast of the storm's core, and several areas of "boiling" clouds suggest intense thunderstorm activity. As of the early afternoon of November 30, the storm had slowed in its west-northwest progress toward land, and forecasters at the Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center were predicting that the storm would be arriving at the coast of India within 48 hours. According to news reports, thousands of people were evacuating the low-lying coastal states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in southern India, areas which were affected by the December 2004 tsunami as well as by flooding [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13263 ] in recent weeks. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ]Goddard Space Flight Center
Tropical Cyclone Bento
Title Tropical Cyclone Bento
Description The MODIS instrument flying aboard NASA's Terra satellite captured this true-color image of Tropical Cyclone Bento on November 22, 2004 at 05:20 UTC. At the time this image was taken, Bento was located approximately 380 miles east-southeast of Diego Garcia and was moving towards the southwest at 5 mph. Maximum sustained winds were near 75 mph with gusts to 92 mph. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team.
Tropical Cyclone Elita (09S)
Title Tropical Cyclone Elita (09S)
Description The MODIS instrument onboard NASA's Terra satellite captured this true-color image of Tropical Cyclone Elita as it was making landfall off the coast of Mahajanga, Madagascar on January 28, 2004. Elita's maximum sustained winds were near 60 knots (70 mph) with gusts to 75 knots (85 mph). The storm was expected to dissipate over the next 24-36 hours at it interacted with the Madagascar land body. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC.
Tropical Cyclone Elita (09S)
Title Tropical Cyclone Elita (09S)
Description Tropical cyclone Elita (9S) formed just off the west coast of the island of Madagascar in the Mozambique Channel on 26 January 2004 as a minimal tropical storm with winds estimated at around 40 mph by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Elita then slowly meandered towards the northeast along the coastline of Madagascar before turning southeast and coming ashore on the 29th near the coastal town of Mahajanga on the northwestern coast of Madagascar. One person was reported killed by the storm and numerous houses and buildings were destroyed in the town. The first image was captured by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite and shows Elita just off the northwest coast of Madagascar. The image was taken at 3:42 UTC on 28 January 2004. At the time of the image, Elita's strength was still only estimated to be near 40 mph though the next advisory later on the 28th put the maximum estimated sustained winds to be near 70 mph. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain rates as seen from above by the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first precipitation radar in space, while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). TRMM shows that Elita is not well organized having an open eye structure with the heaviest rain rates of 2 inches per hour (dark red areas) occurring in a rainband away from the center. Still there are ample areas of moderate rainfall associated with Elita (green areas) with embedded areas of heavier rain (smaller orange areas) to generate substantial amounts of rainfall especially when combined with the slow forward speed of the storm. The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center monitors rainfall over the global tropics. The second image shows MPA rainfall totals for the period 23-29 January, 2004. It reveals that coastal areas of northwestern Madagascar may have received upwards of 2 feet of rain (dark red areas) as a result of Elita. These copious rain totals extend all the way across the Mozambique Channel to the eastern coastline of Mozambique. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Tropical Cyclone Elita (09S)
Title Tropical Cyclone Elita (09S)
Description Tropical cyclone Elita (9S) formed just off the west coast of the island of Madagascar in the Mozambique Channel on 26 January 2004 as a minimal tropical storm with winds estimated at around 40 mph by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Elita then slowly meandered towards the northeast along the coastline of Madagascar before turning southeast and coming ashore on the 29th near the coastal town of Mahajanga on the northwestern coast of Madagascar. One person was reported killed by the storm and numerous houses and buildings were destroyed in the town. The first image was captured by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite and shows Elita just off the northwest coast of Madagascar. The image was taken at 3:42 UTC on 28 January 2004. At the time of the image, Elita's strength was still only estimated to be near 40 mph though the next advisory later on the 28th put the maximum estimated sustained winds to be near 70 mph. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain rates as seen from above by the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first precipitation radar in space, while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). TRMM shows that Elita is not well organized having an open eye structure with the heaviest rain rates of 2 inches per hour (dark red areas) occurring in a rainband away from the center. Still there are ample areas of moderate rainfall associated with Elita (green areas) with embedded areas of heavier rain (smaller orange areas) to generate substantial amounts of rainfall especially when combined with the slow forward speed of the storm. The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center monitors rainfall over the global tropics. The second image shows MPA rainfall totals for the period 23-29 January, 2004. It reveals that coastal areas of northwestern Madagascar may have received upwards of 2 feet of rain (dark red areas) as a result of Elita. These copious rain totals extend all the way across the Mozambique Channel to the eastern coastline of Mozambique. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Tropical Cyclone Elita (09S)
Title Tropical Cyclone Elita (09S)
Description Having formed just off the west coast of the island of Madagascar on the 26th of January 2004, Tropical cyclone Elita (9S) then came ashore on the 29th near the coastal town of Mahajanga on the northwest coast. Elita then moved southwest parallel to the coast line before drifting back out over the Mozambique Channel on the 1st of February. Elita strengthened into a minimal category 1 cyclone with winds estimated at 75 mph by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center on the 2nd. The system then came ashore again on the western coastline of Madagascar near the town of Morondava before moving southeast across the island on the 3rd and exiting on the east coast. Four more people were reported killed as a result of Elita coming ashore for the second time and many thousands were reported to be left homeless. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite captured this image of Elita just after it had made landfall for the second time. The image was taken at 1:33 UTC on 3 February 2004. Rain rates are shown in the center swath from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first radar of its kind in space, while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). TRMM reveals that the rainfall pattern around Elita is very asymmetrical. Almost all of the rain close to the center is on the right-hand side. Only a very localized area of intense rain is observed near the center (small red spot) with most of the rain being moderate (green) to light (blue) in intensity. There is still good banding evident in the rain field associated with the storm's circulation. Heavy rain rates (darker reds) are present in an outer rainband to the north. The second image is a vertical slice as seen from the west through the storm showing the location of the heavier rain rates (darker reds) near the center and in the outer rainbands. The fact that Elita hovered for many days near the same area resulted in copious amounts of rainfall. The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi- satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center monitors rainfall over the global tropics. The last image shows MPA rainfall totals for the period 27 January to 3 February, 2004. It shows areas of rainfall exceeding 20 inches (darker reds) for the period all along the western coastline of Madagascar that also extend across the Mozambique Channel to the east coast of Mozambique. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Tropical Cyclone Fay
Title Tropical Cyclone Fay
Description Tropical Cyclone Fay was beginning to move ashore over Western Australia on March 25, 2004, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) on the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image. With winds of 139 kilometers per hour (86 miles per hour), and gusts up to 166 kilometers per hour (104 miles per hour), the storm has ripped up trees and closed roads in Broome, on Australia?s west coast, but little other damage has been reported. The storm shifted from its predicted course to move south-south-west before coming ashore. The high resolution image provided above has a resolution of 500 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004085-0325/Fay.A2004085.0230 ], including MODIS? maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Tropical Cyclone Fay
Title Tropical Cyclone Fay
Description Severe Tropical Cyclone Fay continues to skate down the Western Australia coast. The storm has intensified over the past twenty-four hours, and is now expected to move ashore early Saturday morning. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology [ http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDW60281.shtml ] has ranked Fay a Category 4 storm, a category reserved for storms with maximum wind gusts ranging between 225 and 279 kilometers per hour (140 and 173 miles per hour). The Bureau expects to see wind gusts up to 235 kilometers per hour when Fay moves ashore. At the time this image was taken, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center [ https://metoc.npmoc.navy.mil//jtwc.html ] warned that Fay had winds of 167 kilometers per hour (103 mph) with gusts to 203 kilometers per hour (127 mph). The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite captured this image of Fay on March 26, 2004, at 5:55 UTC, 1:55 pm in Western Australia. The high-resolution image provided above has a resolution of 500 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004086-0326/Fay.A2004086.0555 ], including MODIS? maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Tropical Cyclone Fay
Title Tropical Cyclone Fay
Description Tropical Cyclone Fay first developed into a tropical depression on the 16th of March 2004 in the Timor Sea west of Bathurst Island off the northern coast of Australia. Just twelve hours after becoming a depression, Fay became a named tropical storm with winds estimated at 35 knots (40 mph). From there, the system took a general west southwestward track parallel to the northwestern coastline of Australia. On the 18th of March, Fay was upgraded to a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds estimated at 65 knots (75 mph). Fay then continued to steadily gain in strength becoming a Category 2 cyclone on the 19th, a Category 3 cyclone on the 20th, and a powerful Category 4 cyclone on the 21st with maximum sustained winds reaching an estimated 120 knots (138 mph). Fay is expected now to take a more southerly track ahead of an advancing trough and threaten the coast of Western Australia. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has monitored the development of Fay capturing several unique images of the storm as it grew into a major cyclone. The first image (top left) was taken at 21:11 UTC on 17 March 2004 (5:11 am Australian WST 18 March). It shows the horizontal distribution of rain rates as seen from above by the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first and only precipitation radar in space, while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). These rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). At the time of this first image, Fay was still a tropical storm with winds estimated at 45 knots (52 mph). TRMM reveals that the storm is still organizing with no evidence of an eye. However, a sizeable area of intense 2-inch-per-hour rain rates (darker red area) exists near the center of circulation, and the heating generated from this rainfall can help to drive the storm's circulation and make it stronger. The next image taken over a day later at 06:05 UTC on the 19th (top right) shows that Fay had become much better organized. The banding evident in the moderate intensity rain field (green arcs) is more pronounced, and an eye has started to form in the southeast portion of the main rain area. An area of intense rain rates (darker reds) is embedded in the northwest quadrant of the eyewall. Fay was at the time a Category 1 cyclone with sustained winds of 75 knots (86 mph). The last two images were taken at 20:00 UTC on March 20. Fay was now a Category 3 cyclone with sustained winds of 100 knots (115 mph). The eye of the storm is now readily apparent with moderate (green) to heavy (red) rain rates in the northern, western and southern portions of the eyewall. The final image (bottom right) shows a vertical slice through the center of Fay. It shows the heavy rain (red area) in the western eyewall as well as intense rain (dark reds) associated with deep convection (vertical blue/green tower) in an outer, rainband well west of the center. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Tropical Cyclone Fay
Title Tropical Cyclone Fay
Description Tropical Cyclone Fay first developed into a tropical depression on the 16th of March 2004 in the Timor Sea west of Bathurst Island off the northern coast of Australia. Just twelve hours after becoming a depression, Fay became a named tropical storm with winds estimated at 35 knots (40 mph). From there, the system took a general west southwestward track parallel to the northwestern coastline of Australia. On the 18th of March, Fay was upgraded to a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds estimated at 65 knots (75 mph). Fay then continued to steadily gain in strength becoming a Category 2 cyclone on the 19th, a Category 3 cyclone on the 20th, and a powerful Category 4 cyclone on the 21st with maximum sustained winds reaching an estimated 120 knots (138 mph). Fay is expected now to take a more southerly track ahead of an advancing trough and threaten the coast of Western Australia. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has monitored the development of Fay capturing several unique images of the storm as it grew into a major cyclone. The first image (top left) was taken at 21:11 UTC on 17 March 2004 (5:11 am Australian WST 18 March). It shows the horizontal distribution of rain rates as seen from above by the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first and only precipitation radar in space, while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). These rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). At the time of this first image, Fay was still a tropical storm with winds estimated at 45 knots (52 mph). TRMM reveals that the storm is still organizing with no evidence of an eye. However, a sizeable area of intense 2-inch-per-hour rain rates (darker red area) exists near the center of circulation, and the heating generated from this rainfall can help to drive the storm's circulation and make it stronger. The next image taken over a day later at 06:05 UTC on the 19th (top right) shows that Fay had become much better organized. The banding evident in the moderate intensity rain field (green arcs) is more pronounced, and an eye has started to form in the southeast portion of the main rain area. An area of intense rain rates (darker reds) is embedded in the northwest quadrant of the eyewall. Fay was at the time a Category 1 cyclone with sustained winds of 75 knots (86 mph). The last two images were taken at 20:00 UTC on March 20. Fay was now a Category 3 cyclone with sustained winds of 100 knots (115 mph). The eye of the storm is now readily apparent with moderate (green) to heavy (red) rain rates in the northern, western and southern portions of the eyewall. The final image (bottom right) shows a vertical slice through the center of Fay. It shows the heavy rain (red area) in the western eyewall as well as intense rain (dark reds) associated with deep convection (vertical blue/green tower) in an outer, rainband well west of the center. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Tropical Cyclone Fay
Title Tropical Cyclone Fay
Description Tropical Cyclone Fay finally came ashore over Western Australia's Pilbara coast on March 27, 2004. At that time, the storm carried winds that gusted up to 200 kilometers per hour (124 miles per hour). Fortunately, the storm made landfall in a sparsely populated region, and relatively little damage has been reported. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) on the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image of the storm over the Western Australian coast on March 27, 2004. The high-resolution image provided above is at MODIS ' maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Tropical Cyclone Fay
Title Tropical Cyclone Fay
Description After meandering off the coast of western Australia, Cyclone Fay finally came ashore back on the 27th of March 2004 as a powerful Category 4 cyclone with maximum sustained winds estimated at 115 knots (132 mph). The cyclone quickly weakened over land. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite captured several unique images of Fay along its path (please, see the previous TRMM story on Cyclone Fay). The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center monitors rainfall over the global tropics. MPA rainfall totals are shown for western Australia and the eastern Indian Ocean in association with the passage of Fay for the period 20 to 27 March 2004. The heaviest rainfall totals are by far and away located over the eastern Indian Ocean. The darker red areas show rainfall totals due to Fay on the order of 12 inches in this region. The heaviest totals appear to the right of the storm track (shown by the white storm symbols plotted every 06Z). These heavy amounts are the product of an intense rain band located well to the north west of the center that was observed by TRMM starting back on the 19th of March. The highest totals over land appear right along the coast and are on the order of 3 to 5 inches (green areas). A swath of 1 to 2 inch amounts (blue areas) extends inland over Western Australia. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Tropical Cyclone Fay
Title Tropical Cyclone Fay
Description After meandering off the coast of western Australia, Cyclone Fay finally came ashore back on the 27th of March 2004 as a powerful Category 4 cyclone with maximum sustained winds estimated at 115 knots (132 mph). The cyclone quickly weakened over land. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite captured several unique images of Fay along its path (please, see the previous TRMM story on Cyclone Fay). The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center monitors rainfall over the global tropics. MPA rainfall totals are shown for western Australia and the eastern Indian Ocean in association with the passage of Fay for the period 20 to 27 March 2004. The heaviest rainfall totals are by far and away located over the eastern Indian Ocean. The darker red areas show rainfall totals due to Fay on the order of 12 inches in this region. The heaviest totals appear to the right of the storm track (shown by the white storm symbols plotted every 06Z). These heavy amounts are the product of an intense rain band located well to the north west of the center that was observed by TRMM starting back on the 19th of March. The highest totals over land appear right along the coast and are on the order of 3 to 5 inches (green areas). A swath of 1 to 2 inch amounts (blue areas) extends inland over Western Australia. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Tropical Cyclone Frank (10S)
Title Tropical Cyclone Frank (10S)
Description The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image of Tropical Cyclone Frank (10S) spinning through the South Indian Ocean on February 2, 2004. At that time, Frank had winds of 144 miles per hour (232 kilometers per hour) with gusts up to 173 miles per hour (278 km/h). The storm was moving southeast, and posed no threat to land. The high-resolution image provided above has a resolution of 500 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions, including MODIS? maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Tropical Cyclone Fritz
Title Tropical Cyclone Fritz
Description Tropical Cyclone Fritz first formed into a tropical cyclone on 10 February 2004 in the Coral Sea east of Queensland, Australia. The storm then came ashore on the morning of the 11th (LST) as a minimal cyclone along the northeast coastline of Queensland just north of Cape Melville. Most of the rainfall with Fritz was away from the center near Weipa to the north and Cairns to the south. The system weakened into a tropical depression over land and continued moving westward cutting across the Cape York Peninsula before re-emerging over the waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria. It then re-intensified back into a Category 1 cyclone on the 12th. Fritz's circulation, however, was too disrupted over land to have time to get too well organized and thus allow for significant strengthening. However, it did manage to reach Category 2 status with peak wind gusts exceeding 125 kph (75 mph) before crossing Mornington Island in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria. Fritz then made landfall again on the far northwest coast of Queensland. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite captured these unique images of Cyclone Fritz while it was in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria. The images were taken at 14:18 UTC on 11 February 2004 (12:18 am Australian EST 12 February 2004). At the time, Fritz was categorized as a Category 1 cyclone by the Brisbane Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre with peak wind gusts of less then 125 kph (75 mph). The first image shows the horizontal distribution of rain rates as seen by the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first precipitation radar in space, while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). Fritz is shown to have a poorly organized circulation with no discernable eyewall. At this time only small, isolated areas of heavy rainfall are present (dark red spots). Tropical cyclones need the heat that is released when water vapor condenses into the cloud droplets that form the precipitation to drive the storm. This process is most efficient when the storm is well-organized and the heating takes place near the center. The second image shows a vertical cross section looking towards the west through the northern part of storm from the TRMM PR. It shows areas of heavy rainfall (darker reds) associated with rainbands away from the center of circulation. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Tropical Cyclone Gafilo
Title Tropical Cyclone Gafilo
Description Gafilo struck the northeast coast of Madagascar early on the morning of the 7th of March 2004 (LST) as a very powerful Category 5 cyclone with winds estimated at 160 mph. So far, at least 25 people have been reported dead on Madagascar not counting a further 111 feared drowned on a ferry that was lost in the storm and reported to have capsized in heavy seas by two survivors. After making landfall on the northeast coast, Gafilo cut across the northern part of the island moving southwest leaving as many as 100,000 people homeless in its wake before re-emerging over the waters of the Mozambique Channel on March 8th. Out over the channel, Gafilo recurved heading southeast. It briefly regaining Category 1 strength over open waters. The storm then made landfall again on the night of the 9th along the southwest coast of Madagascar and crossed the island yet again, this time over the southern part of the island. Gafilo is finally forecast to exit the southeast coastline of Madagascar on the evening of the 11th and head back out into the western Indian ocean as a weak tropical storm. The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center monitors rainfall over the global tropics. MPA rainfall totals are shown for the period 3-10 March 2004 for the area over and around Madagascar. Cyclone symbols mark the 06Z positions of Gafilo along its path. As the storm approaches Madagascar from the east, the heaviest rainfall totals, on the order of 12 inches (orange-red areas), appear close to the center of the storm track. As the systems crosses land, the higher totals appear to the right of the storm track and are on the order of 15 inches of rain (red area) over the northern tip of Madagascar. The heaviest totals of up to 20 inches (darkest reds) stretch from the central Mozambique Channel eastward to along the northwest coastline of Madagascar. These totals appear to be associated with an intense, east-west oriented rainband that was observed by TRMM on March 8 (see the previous story on Gafilo) well north of the storm's center. Rainfall totals are significantly less though still on the order of 4 to 8 inches (green areas) over southern and central Madagascar. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Tropical Cyclone Gafilo
Title Tropical Cyclone Gafilo
Description Gafilo struck the northeast coast of Madagascar early on the morning of the 7th of March 2004 (LST) as a very powerful Category 5 cyclone with winds estimated at 160 mph. So far, at least 25 people have been reported dead on Madagascar not counting a further 111 feared drowned on a ferry that was lost in the storm and reported to have capsized in heavy seas by two survivors. After making landfall on the northeast coast, Gafilo cut across the northern part of the island moving southwest leaving as many as 100,000 people homeless in its wake before re-emerging over the waters of the Mozambique Channel on March 8th. Out over the channel, Gafilo recurved heading southeast. It briefly regaining Category 1 strength over open waters. The storm then made landfall again on the night of the 9th along the southwest coast of Madagascar and crossed the island yet again, this time over the southern part of the island. Gafilo is finally forecast to exit the southeast coastline of Madagascar on the evening of the 11th and head back out into the western Indian ocean as a weak tropical storm. The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center monitors rainfall over the global tropics. MPA rainfall totals are shown for the period 3-10 March 2004 for the area over and around Madagascar. Cyclone symbols mark the 06Z positions of Gafilo along its path. As the storm approaches Madagascar from the east, the heaviest rainfall totals, on the order of 12 inches (orange-red areas), appear close to the center of the storm track. As the systems crosses land, the higher totals appear to the right of the storm track and are on the order of 15 inches of rain (red area) over the northern tip of Madagascar. The heaviest totals of up to 20 inches (darkest reds) stretch from the central Mozambique Channel eastward to along the northwest coastline of Madagascar. These totals appear to be associated with an intense, east-west oriented rainband that was observed by TRMM on March 8 (see the previous story on Gafilo) well north of the storm's center. Rainfall totals are significantly less though still on the order of 4 to 8 inches (green areas) over southern and central Madagascar. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Tropical Cyclone Gafilo
Title Tropical Cyclone Gafilo
Description The island of Madagascar, which was hit by Cyclone Elita back on the 29th of January, recently suffered a direct hit from Gafilo, a far more powerful storm rated as an intense Category 5 Cyclone at the time it made landfall on the island's northeast coastline. So far Gafilo has left 7 dead, 18 missing and up to 100,000 homeless on Madagascar. Gafilo began as a tropical depression back on the 29th of February 2004 in the central Indian Ocean south of Deigo Garcia in the Chagos Archipelago. Two days later on the 2nd of March, it became a tropical storm and continued moving west. Gafilo strengthened into a Category 1 cyclone the next day on the 3rd, and March 4th saw Gafilo continuing to intensify with winds increasing to 85 knots (98 mph) as estimated by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. On the 5th, Gafilo began a cycle of rapid deepening with winds increasing to 125 knots (144 mph) making it a major Category 4 cyclone. It was now moving west-southwest headed straight for Madagascar. The next day, on the 6th of March 2004, Gafilo struck the northeast coast of Madagascar near to the town of Antalaha as a Category 5 cyclone, the highest possible rating, its sustained winds having further increased to an estimated 140 knots (161 mph). Ninety-five percent of Antalaha was reported destroyed. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite captured numerous, impressive images of Cyclone Gafilo covering most of it's life cycle as it traversed the western Indian Ocean. The first image (top left) was taken at 8:15 UTC on 4 March 2004. It shows the horizontal distribution of rain rates as seen from above by the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first and only precipitation radar in space, and rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). In this first image, TRMM shows Gafilo to have a large, closed eye but only weak (blues) to moderate (green areas) rain rates immediately surround the center. A large rainband with some embedded heavier convection (darker red areas) wraps in towards the eye from the storm's northwest quadrant. At the time, Gafilo was already rated a Category 1 cyclone with winds estimated at 65 knots (75 mph). The next image (top right) taken at 17:10 UTC on March 5 reveals a very different looking Gafilo. The eye has become smaller, and the surrounding eyewall is now composed almost entirely of heavy (reds) to intense (darker reds) rain rates of up to 2-inches per hour. Tropical cyclones act like large heat engines. Their fuel comes from the transformation of water vapor in the atmosphere. As water vapor condenses into the tiny cloud droplets that eventually form the precipitation, heat is released. This heat, known as latent heat, is what drives the storm's circulation. In general, the more heating that occurs, the more intense the storm will, become. This heating is most effective in driving the storm if it is occurs near its center as TRMM shows is the case shown here with Gafilo. At this time, Gafilo was a powerful Category 4 storm with winds estimated at 125 knots (144 mph). The third (bottom left) image was taken at 8:02 UTC March 6th as Gafilo was approaching the coast of Madagascar and shows a tropical cyclone at its most mature, intense stage. The storm now has a very tight, very small eye with a nearly perfectly symmetrical eyewall containing a near-uniform concentric ring of intense rain rates (dark reds). The storm is now at Category 5, and the winds are at 140 knots (161 mph). The final image (bottom right) shows Gafilo in the Mozambique Channel after the storm had crossed the entire northern half of Madagascar. Taken at 7:47 UTC on the 8th, with the circulation having been disrupted by land and topography and its supply of water vapor essentially cutoff, the eye is now totally gone with no visible eyewall present. A large rainband with a broad area of intense (dark reds) to moderate (green areas) rain remains, extending from the central part of the Mozambique Channel eastward into western Madagascar north of the storm's center. Gafilo had now been downgraded to a tropical storm with remaining winds estimated at 55 knots (63 mph). TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Tropical Cyclone Gafilo
Title Tropical Cyclone Gafilo
Description The island of Madagascar, which was hit by Cyclone Elita back on the 29th of January, recently suffered a direct hit from Gafilo, a far more powerful storm rated as an intense Category 5 Cyclone at the time it made landfall on the island's northeast coastline. So far Gafilo has left 7 dead, 18 missing and up to 100,000 homeless on Madagascar. Gafilo began as a tropical depression back on the 29th of February 2004 in the central Indian Ocean south of Deigo Garcia in the Chagos Archipelago. Two days later on the 2nd of March, it became a tropical storm and continued moving west. Gafilo strengthened into a Category 1 cyclone the next day on the 3rd, and March 4th saw Gafilo continuing to intensify with winds increasing to 85 knots (98 mph) as estimated by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. On the 5th, Gafilo began a cycle of rapid deepening with winds increasing to 125 knots (144 mph) making it a major Category 4 cyclone. It was now moving west-southwest headed straight for Madagascar. The next day, on the 6th of March 2004, Gafilo struck the northeast coast of Madagascar near to the town of Antalaha as a Category 5 cyclone, the highest possible rating, its sustained winds having further increased to an estimated 140 knots (161 mph). Ninety-five percent of Antalaha was reported destroyed. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite captured numerous, impressive images of Cyclone Gafilo covering most of it's life cycle as it traversed the western Indian Ocean. The first image (top left) was taken at 8:15 UTC on 4 March 2004. It shows the horizontal distribution of rain rates as seen from above by the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first and only precipitation radar in space, and rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). In this first image, TRMM shows Gafilo to have a large, closed eye but only weak (blues) to moderate (green areas) rain rates immediately surround the center. A large rainband with some embedded heavier convection (darker red areas) wraps in towards the eye from the storm's northwest quadrant. At the time, Gafilo was already rated a Category 1 cyclone with winds estimated at 65 knots (75 mph). The next image (top right) taken at 17:10 UTC on March 5 reveals a very different looking Gafilo. The eye has become smaller, and the surrounding eyewall is now composed almost entirely of heavy (reds) to intense (darker reds) rain rates of up to 2-inches per hour. Tropical cyclones act like large heat engines. Their fuel comes from the transformation of water vapor in the atmosphere. As water vapor condenses into the tiny cloud droplets that eventually form the precipitation, heat is released. This heat, known as latent heat, is what drives the storm's circulation. In general, the more heating that occurs, the more intense the storm will, become. This heating is most effective in driving the storm if it is occurs near its center as TRMM shows is the case shown here with Gafilo. At this time, Gafilo was a powerful Category 4 storm with winds estimated at 125 knots (144 mph). The third (bottom left) image was taken at 8:02 UTC March 6th as Gafilo was approaching the coast of Madagascar and shows a tropical cyclone at its most mature, intense stage. The storm now has a very tight, very small eye with a nearly perfectly symmetrical eyewall containing a near-uniform concentric ring of intense rain rates (dark reds). The storm is now at Category 5, and the winds are at 140 knots (161 mph). The final image (bottom right) shows Gafilo in the Mozambique Channel after the storm had crossed the entire northern half of Madagascar. Taken at 7:47 UTC on the 8th, with the circulation having been disrupted by land and topography and its supply of water vapor essentially cutoff, the eye is now totally gone with no visible eyewall present. A large rainband with a broad area of intense (dark reds) to moderate (green areas) rain remains, extending from the central part of the Mozambique Channel eastward into western Madagascar north of the storm's center. Gafilo had now been downgraded to a tropical storm with remaining winds estimated at 55 knots (63 mph). TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Tropical Cyclone Gafilo
Title Tropical Cyclone Gafilo
Description The island of Madagascar, which was hit by Cyclone Elita back on the 29th of January, recently suffered a direct hit from Gafilo, a far more powerful storm rated as an intense Category 5 Cyclone at the time it made landfall on the island's northeast coastline. So far Gafilo has left 7 dead, 18 missing and up to 100,000 homeless on Madagascar. Gafilo began as a tropical depression back on the 29th of February 2004 in the central Indian Ocean south of Deigo Garcia in the Chagos Archipelago. Two days later on the 2nd of March, it became a tropical storm and continued moving west. Gafilo strengthened into a Category 1 cyclone the next day on the 3rd, and March 4th saw Gafilo continuing to intensify with winds increasing to 85 knots (98 mph) as estimated by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. On the 5th, Gafilo began a cycle of rapid deepening with winds increasing to 125 knots (144 mph) making it a major Category 4 cyclone. It was now moving west-southwest headed straight for Madagascar. The next day, on the 6th of March 2004, Gafilo struck the northeast coast of Madagascar near to the town of Antalaha as a Category 5 cyclone, the highest possible rating, its sustained winds having further increased to an estimated 140 knots (161 mph). Ninety-five percent of Antalaha was reported destroyed. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite captured numerous, impressive images of Cyclone Gafilo covering most of it's life cycle as it traversed the western Indian Ocean. The first image (top left) was taken at 8:15 UTC on 4 March 2004. It shows the horizontal distribution of rain rates as seen from above by the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first and only precipitation radar in space, and rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). In this first image, TRMM shows Gafilo to have a large, closed eye but only weak (blues) to moderate (green areas) rain rates immediately surround the center. A large rainband with some embedded heavier convection (darker red areas) wraps in towards the eye from the storm's northwest quadrant. At the time, Gafilo was already rated a Category 1 cyclone with winds estimated at 65 knots (75 mph). The next image (top right) taken at 17:10 UTC on March 5 reveals a very different looking Gafilo. The eye has become smaller, and the surrounding eyewall is now composed almost entirely of heavy (reds) to intense (darker reds) rain rates of up to 2-inches per hour. Tropical cyclones act like large heat engines. Their fuel comes from the transformation of water vapor in the atmosphere. As water vapor condenses into the tiny cloud droplets that eventually form the precipitation, heat is released. This heat, known as latent heat, is what drives the storm's circulation. In general, the more heating that occurs, the more intense the storm will, become. This heating is most effective in driving the storm if it is occurs near its center as TRMM shows is the case shown here with Gafilo. At this time, Gafilo was a powerful Category 4 storm with winds estimated at 125 knots (144 mph). The third (bottom left) image was taken at 8:02 UTC March 6th as Gafilo was approaching the coast of Madagascar and shows a tropical cyclone at its most mature, intense stage. The storm now has a very tight, very small eye with a nearly perfectly symmetrical eyewall containing a near-uniform concentric ring of intense rain rates (dark reds). The storm is now at Category 5, and the winds are at 140 knots (161 mph). The final image (bottom right) shows Gafilo in the Mozambique Channel after the storm had crossed the entire northern half of Madagascar. Taken at 7:47 UTC on the 8th, with the circulation having been disrupted by land and topography and its supply of water vapor essentially cutoff, the eye is now totally gone with no visible eyewall present. A large rainband with a broad area of intense (dark reds) to moderate (green areas) rain remains, extending from the central part of the Mozambique Channel eastward into western Madagascar north of the storm's center. Gafilo had now been downgraded to a tropical storm with remaining winds estimated at 55 knots (63 mph). TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Tropical Cyclone Heta
Title Tropical Cyclone Heta
Description Heta meandered northwest of Samoa over the weekend before turning south and passing just west of the islands on Monday, January 5, 2004. Winds up to 105 miles per hour buffeted the islands knocking out power, uprooting trees, and causing extensive roof damage. After passing Samoa, Heta continued southeast and intensified with sustained winds estimated at 133 miles per hour and gusts of up to 185 miles per hour as it was headed for the tiny island nation of Niue. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] (TRMM) satellite captured these impressive images of Cyclone Heta as it was passing just west of Samoa. The images were taken at 6:08 UTC on January 5, 2004. This image shows a vertical cross section through the eye of the storm from the TRMM PR. It shows areas of heavy rainfall (red areas) extending upwards to midlevels in the eyewalls and in an outer rainband as well as deep convective towers surrounding the eye extending to upper levels (blue areas above red areas). Another image [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=11897 ] shows the horizontal distribution of rain rates as seen from above by the TRMM satellite. TRMM reveals that Heta has a double eyewall structure, which can sometimes occur in mature, intense tropical cyclones. The outer eyewall, the intense band of heavy, 2-inch-per-hour rain rates shown by the dark red circle completely surrounds a partial inner eyewall shown by the smaller dark red semicircle. Tropical cyclones act as large heat engines. When water vapor condenses into the cloud droplets that form the precipitation, heat, known as latent heat, is released and drives the storm. Generally, the more heat that is released, the more powerful the storm will become. This heating is also most effective near the center of the storm as is the case with Heta. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency NASDA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC)
Tropical Cyclone Heta
Title Tropical Cyclone Heta
Description Cyclone Heta approaches the island of Niue in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) image taken by the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on January 6, 2004, at 1:00 UTC. The storm blew through Samoa, seen in the top center, on January 5 with 105 mile-per-hour winds, which blew down trees and knocked out communications and power. The storm intensified as it moved southeast toward Niue. At the time this image was taken, Heta?s winds reached a powerful 150 miles per hour with gusts up to 184 miles per hour. The high resolution image provided above is at 500 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004006-0106/Heta.A2004006.0100 ], including MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Tropical Cyclone Heta
Title Tropical Cyclone Heta
Description Heta meandered northwest of Samoa over the weekend before turning south and passing just west of the islands on Monday, January 5, 2004. Winds up to 105 miles per hour buffeted the islands knocking out power, uprooting trees, and causing extensive roof damage. After passing Samoa, Heta continued southeast and intensified with sustained winds estimated at 133 miles per hour and gusts of up to 185 miles per hour as it was headed for the tiny island nation of Niue. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] (TRMM) satellite captured these impressive images of Cyclone Heta as it was passing just west of Samoa. The images were taken at 6:08 UTC on January 5, 2004. This image shows the horizontal distribution of rain rates as seen from above by the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first precipitation radar in space, while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). TRMM reveals that Heta has a double eyewall structure, which can sometimes occur in mature, intense tropical cyclones. The outer eyewall, the intense band of heavy, 2-inch-per-hour rain rates shown by the dark red circle completely surrounds a partial inner eyewall shown by the smaller dark red semicircle. Tropical cyclones act as large heat engines. When water vapor condenses into the cloud droplets that form the precipitation, heat, known as latent heat, is released and drives the storm. Generally, the more heat that is released, the more powerful the storm will become. This heating is also most effective near the center of the storm as is the case with Heta. The second image [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=11898 ] shows a vertical cross section through the eye of the storm from the TRMM PR. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency NASDA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC)
Tropical Cyclone Ken
Title Tropical Cyclone Ken
Description Cyclone Ken, seen approaching Australia?s northwestern coast in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) image, is Western Australia?s first tropical cyclone of the season. The weak, category-one storm was not expected to make landfall, though the Australian Weather Bureau warned coastal residents of severe weather. The storm formed on January 1, 2004. By the time this image was taken on January 5, at 10:30 AM local time (2:30 UTC), Ken?s winds reached 40 miles per hour, with gusts up to 52 miles per hour. The storm weakened later in the day. The high resolution image provided above is at MODIS? maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Flooding from Tropical Cyclo …
Title Flooding from Tropical Cyclone Fay
Description Tropical Cyclone Fay hovered offshore for several days before finally making landfall near the DeGrey River in Western Australia. The storm caused relatively little damage, but it did fill the river, pushing it beyond its normal size. In the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) image taken on April 1, 2004, by the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, pale blue pools of flood water surround the swollen river. On March 23, before Fay came ashore, the river was only visible because of the thin green lines of vegetation that line its banks. In both images, vegetation is bright green, bare ground is tan and pink, water is blue and black, and clouds are light blue. The high resolution images provided above are at MODIS? maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Flooding from Tropical Cyclo …
Title Flooding from Tropical Cyclone Fay
Description Tropical Cyclone Fay hovered offshore for several days before finally making landfall near the DeGrey River in Western Australia. The storm caused relatively little damage, but it did fill the river, pushing it beyond its normal size. In the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) image taken on April 1, 2004, by the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, pale blue pools of flood water surround the swollen river. On March 23, before Fay came ashore, the river was only visible because of the thin green lines of vegetation that line its banks. In both images, vegetation is bright green, bare ground is tan and pink, water is blue and black, and clouds are light blue. The high resolution images provided above are at MODIS? maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Flooding from Tropical Cyclo …
Title Flooding from Tropical Cyclone Fay
Description Tropical Cyclone Fay hovered offshore for several days before finally making landfall near the DeGrey River in Western Australia. The storm caused relatively little damage, but it did fill the river, pushing it beyond its normal size. In the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) image taken on April 1, 2004, by the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, pale blue pools of flood water surround the swollen river. On March 23, before Fay came ashore, the river was only visible because of the thin green lines of vegetation that line its banks. In both images, vegetation is bright green, bare ground is tan and pink, water is blue and black, and clouds are light blue. The high resolution images provided above are at MODIS? maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Tropical Cyclone Monty
Title Tropical Cyclone Monty
Description The MODIS instrument onboard NASA's Terra satellite captured this true-color image of Tropical Cyclone Monty located 140 miles east of Learmonth, Australia on March 2, 2004. Since moving inland the storm has diminished in strength and now has maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. As of March 2, Monty has dumped over 8 inches of rain in Western Australia. According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Monty is expected to continue moving poleward and quickly dissipate. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC.
Tropical Cyclone Monty
Title Tropical Cyclone Monty
Description The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) acquired these natural color images and cloud top height measurements for Monty before and after the storm made landfall over the remote Pilbara region of Western Australia, on February 29 and March 2, 2004 (shown as the left and right-hand image sets, respectively). On February 29, Monty was upgraded to category 4 cyclone status. After traveling inland about 300 kilometers to the south, the cyclonic circulation had decayed considerably, although category 3 force winds were reported on the ground. Some parts of the drought-affected Pilbara region received more than 300 millimeters of rainfall, and serious and extensive flooding has occurred. The natural color images cover much of the same area, although the right-hand panels are offset slightly to the east. Automated stereoscopic processing of data from multiple MISR cameras was utilized to produce the cloud-top height fields. The distinctive spatial patterns of the clouds provide the necessary contrast to enable automated feature matching between images acquired at different view angles. The height retrievals are at this stage uncorrected for the effects of the high winds associated with cyclone rotation. Areas where heights could not be retrieved are shown in dark gray. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbits 22335 and 22364. The panels cover an area of about 380 kilometers x 985 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 105 to 111 within World Reference System-2 paths 115 and 113. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. Image courtesy NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL MISR Team [ http://www-misr.jpl.nasa.gov/ ], caption courtesy Clare Averill, Raytheon/Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Tropical Cyclone Monty
Title Tropical Cyclone Monty
Description The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) acquired these natural color images and cloud top height measurements for Tropical cyclone Monty before and after the storm made landfall over the remote Pilbara region of Western Australia, on February 29 and March 2, 2004 (shown as the left and right-hand image sets, respectively). On February 29, Monty was upgraded to category 4 cyclone status. After traveling inland about 300 kilometers to the south, the cyclonic circulation had decayed considerably, although category 3 force winds were reported on the ground. Some parts of the drought-affected Pilbara region received more than 300 millimeters of rainfall, and serious and extensive flooding has occurred. The natural color images cover much of the same area, although the right-hand panels are offset slightly to the east. Automated stereoscopic processing of data from multiple MISR cameras was utilized to produce the cloud-top height fields. The distinctive spatial patterns of the clouds provide the necessary contrast to enable automated feature matching between images acquired at different view angles. The height retrievals are at this stage uncorrected for the effects of the high winds associated with cyclone rotation. Areas where heights could not be retrieved are shown in dark gray. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. The MISR Browse Image Viewer [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/MISRBR/ ] provides access to low-resolution true-color versions of these images. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbits 22335 and 22364. The panels cover an area of about 380 kilometers x 985 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 105 to 111 within World Reference System-2 paths 115 and 113. Image courtesy NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, MISR Team. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://www-misr.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] Text by Clare Averill (Raytheon/JPL).
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