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Super Typhoon Cimaron
Title Super Typhoon Cimaron
Description Super Typhoon Cimaron struck the northernmost large island in the Philippines, Luzon, on October 29, 2006. According to BBC News Service, [ http://news.bbc.co.uk/ ] the typhoon was the most powerful to strike the island chain since 1998, lashing Luzon with 200-kilometer-an-hour (125-mile-per-hour) winds and torrential rain. After passing through the island chain, Cimaron weakened significantly, falling below Category 3 [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml ] strength (the threshold seperating a typhoon from a super typhoon). The typhoon then picked up power over the South China Sea as it headed towards Vietnam. On November 1, Reuters reported a projected landfall in Vietnam on November 3, with an expected strength of Category 1, though predictions of storm strength are challenging to make accurately. Residents of Vietnam were preparing for possible evacuations, as were residents of the Chinese coastal areas, including the island of Hainan and Hong Kong. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on October 31, 2006, at 1:35 p.m. local time (5:35 UTC). At this time, Typhoon Cimaron was in the center of the South China Sea. Winds were around 160 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour), according to the University of Hawaii's Tropical Storm Information Center. [ http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/ ] The high-resolution image provided above is at MODIS' full spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2006305-1101/Cimaron.A2006305.0535 ] You can also download a 250-meter-resolution Typhoon Cimaron KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Nov2006/cimaron_amo_2006305.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center.
Super Typhoon Cimaron
Title Super Typhoon Cimaron
Description The northern Philippines Island Luzon suffered a direct hit from powerful Super Typhoon Cimaron over the weekend of October 28-29, 2006. The typhoon struck the east coast of Luzon on the evening (local time) of October 29 with sustained winds of 200 kilometers per hour (124 mph) and gusts to 230 kilometers per hour (143 mph). The storm killed at least 15 people. After crossing Luzon in the Philippines, Cimaron re-emerged over open waters in the South China Sea and as of October 31 was expected to make a second landfall on the coast of Vietnam. This image of Cimaron was captured by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov ] satellite as the powerful storm was bearing down on Luzon. Places with the highest rainfall are colored red, while areas with the lowest rainfall are blue. The image was taken at 1:40 p.m. local time in Manila (05:40 UTC) on October 29, not long before Cimaron made landfall. TRMM reveals that Cimaron was undergoing eyewall replacement, during which the centermost ring of thunderstorms clouds (the eyewall) weakens and is "swallowed up" by a new eyewall of thunderstorms that encroached on the eye of the storm from the spiraling rain bands. This eyewall replacement cycle is evident in the TRMM image from the distinct double eyewall structure. Cimaron's compact inner eyewall of intense rain (small, dark red ring) is surrounded by a nearly complete outer eyewall of intense to moderate rain (concentric ring of dark red and green). This double, or concentric, eyewall feature is only found in very powerful, mature tropical cyclones. Near the time of this image, Cimaron was a Category 5 super typhoon with maximum sustained winds estimated at 140 knots (161 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The rain rates in the center of the swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar, while those in the outer portion are from the TRMM Microwave Imager. The rain rates are overlaid on infrared data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner. TRMM was placed into its low-earth orbit in November 1997. Its primary mission is to measure rainfall from space, however, it has also served as a valuable platform for monitoring tropical cyclones, especially over remote parts of the open ocean. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency, JAXA. A KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Oct2006/cimaron_trmm_2006302.kmz ] of Super Typhoon Cimaron is available for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Super Typhoon Cimaron
Title Super Typhoon Cimaron
Description Super Typhoon Cimaron struck the northernmost large island in the Philippines, Luzon, on October 29, 2006. According to BBC News Service, [ http://news.bbc.co.uk/ ] the typhoon was the most powerful to strike the island chain since 1998, lashing Luzon with 200-kilometer-an-hour (125-mile-per-hour) winds and torrential rain. As of October 30, 13 deaths directly attributable to the storm had been reported. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on October 29, 2006, at 1:00 p.m. local time (5:00 UTC). Super Typhoon Cimaron was a tightly wound ball of clouds just hours from landfall on Luzon. Winds were around 255 kilometers per hour (160 miles per hour) at the time of this image, according to Weather Underground's Hurricane Archive. [ http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/hurrarchive.asp ] As the storm came ashore, it eased off these Category 5 [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml ]-strength winds, but it still struck the mountainous islands with Category 4 winds hours after this satellite image was taken. The high-resolution image provided above is at MODIS' full spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2006302-1029/Cimaron.A2006302.0500 ] You can also download a 250 m resolution Typhoon Cimaron KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Oct2006/cimaron_amo_2006302.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center.
Super Typhoon Cimaron
Title Super Typhoon Cimaron
Description Super Typhoon Cimaron struck the northernmost large island in the Philippines, Luzon, on October 29, 2006. According to BBC News Service, [ http://news.bbc.co.uk/ ] the typhoon was the most powerful to strike the island chain since 1998, lashing Luzon with 200-kilometer-an-hour (125-mile-per-hour) winds and torrential rain. As of October 30, 13 deaths directly attributable to the storm had been reported. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on October 29, 2006, at 1:00 p.m. local time (5:00 UTC). Super Typhoon Cimaron was a tightly wound ball of clouds just hours from landfall on Luzon. Winds were around 255 kilometers per hour (160 miles per hour) at the time of this image, according to Weather Underground's Hurricane Archive. [ http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/hurrarchive.asp ] As the storm came ashore, it eased off these Category 5 [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml ]-strength winds, but it still struck the mountainous islands with Category 4 winds hours after this satellite image was taken. The high-resolution image provided above is at MODIS' full spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2006302-1029/Cimaron.A2006302.0500 ] You can also download a 250 m resolution Typhoon Cimaron KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Oct2006/cimaron_amo_2006302.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center.
Super Typhoon Dianmu
Title Super Typhoon Dianmu
Description Once a powerful super typhoon, Dianmu is still a dangerous storm as it churns its way through the western Pacific headed for the southern islands of Japan. Dianmu was identified as a tropical depression on June 13, 2004, south of the Yap Islands and was quickly upgraded to a tropical storm. The next day, Dianmu went from a tropical storm to a minimal typhoon as it entered the southern part of the Philippine Sea heading generally northward. From 00Z on the 15th to 00Z on the 16th, Dianmu underwent rapid intensification with estimated sustained winds surging from 70 knots (81 mph) to 150 knots (173 mph), transforming it into a super typhoon. Fortunately, the storm was well away from any land masses. Dianmu remained a super typhoon until 12Z on the 17th as it moved north-northwest through the central Philippine Sea. At 12Z on the 18th, Dianmu was still a very powerful storm Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 130 knots (150 mph). On its current track, the storm is expected to pass east of Okinawa and is forecast to weaken as conditions become less favorable as it approaches the main islands of southern Japan. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite monitored Dianmu?s progress as it strengthened in the West Pacific. The top image was taken at 11:48 UTC on June 13, 2004. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. 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). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). At the time of the first image, Dianmu was still a tropical depression with winds estimated at just 30 knots (35 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. TRMM shows a rather disorganized area of moderate (green) to light (blue areas) intensity rain with only weak evidence of a center. The center image was taken at 10:40 UTC on the 16th when Dianmu was a super typhoon. The PR did not pass over the center, but the IR data (white area) does show a very symmetrical cloud shield. The TMI captures some of the rainbands south of the center which have embedded areas of intense rainfall (dark red areas). The bottom image was taken at 10:26 UTC on the 18th when Diamu was classified as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 130 knots (150 mph). TRMM reveals that Dianmu has what is termed a ?double eyewall? structure that can occur in the most powerful tropical cyclones. It is apparent by the two concentric rings in the rain field. The northwestern half of the inner eyewall is made up of very intense rainrates (dark red areas) with intense rainrates also visible in the western portion of the outer eyewall. Eventually the outer eyewall will contract and replace the inner one.TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/homepage.html ], 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).
Super Typhoon Dianmu
Title Super Typhoon Dianmu
Description Once a powerful super typhoon, Dianmu is still a dangerous storm as it churns its way through the western Pacific headed for the southern islands of Japan. Dianmu was identified as a tropical depression on June 13, 2004, south of the Yap Islands and was quickly upgraded to a tropical storm. The next day, Dianmu went from a tropical storm to a minimal typhoon as it entered the southern part of the Philippine Sea heading generally northward. From 00Z on the 15th to 00Z on the 16th, Dianmu underwent rapid intensification with estimated sustained winds surging from 70 knots (81 mph) to 150 knots (173 mph), transforming it into a super typhoon. Fortunately, the storm was well away from any land masses. Dianmu remained a super typhoon until 12Z on the 17th as it moved north-northwest through the central Philippine Sea. At 12Z on the 18th, Dianmu was still a very powerful storm Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 130 knots (150 mph). On its current track, the storm is expected to pass east of Okinawa and is forecast to weaken as conditions become less favorable as it approaches the main islands of southern Japan. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite monitored Dianmu?s progress as it strengthened in the West Pacific. The top image was taken at 11:48 UTC on June 13, 2004. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. 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). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). At the time of the first image, Dianmu was still a tropical depression with winds estimated at just 30 knots (35 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. TRMM shows a rather disorganized area of moderate (green) to light (blue areas) intensity rain with only weak evidence of a center. The center image was taken at 10:40 UTC on the 16th when Dianmu was a super typhoon. The PR did not pass over the center, but the IR data (white area) does show a very symmetrical cloud shield. The TMI captures some of the rainbands south of the center which have embedded areas of intense rainfall (dark red areas). The bottom image was taken at 10:26 UTC on the 18th when Diamu was classified as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 130 knots (150 mph). TRMM reveals that Dianmu has what is termed a ?double eyewall? structure that can occur in the most powerful tropical cyclones. It is apparent by the two concentric rings in the rain field. The northwestern half of the inner eyewall is made up of very intense rainrates (dark red areas) with intense rainrates also visible in the western portion of the outer eyewall. Eventually the outer eyewall will contract and replace the inner one.TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/homepage.html ], 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).
Super Typhoon Dianmu
Title Super Typhoon Dianmu
Description Once a powerful super typhoon, Dianmu is still a dangerous storm as it churns its way through the western Pacific headed for the southern islands of Japan. Dianmu was identified as a tropical depression on June 13, 2004, south of the Yap Islands and was quickly upgraded to a tropical storm. The next day, Dianmu went from a tropical storm to a minimal typhoon as it entered the southern part of the Philippine Sea heading generally northward. From 00Z on the 15th to 00Z on the 16th, Dianmu underwent rapid intensification with estimated sustained winds surging from 70 knots (81 mph) to 150 knots (173 mph), transforming it into a super typhoon. Fortunately, the storm was well away from any land masses. Dianmu remained a super typhoon until 12Z on the 17th as it moved north-northwest through the central Philippine Sea. At 12Z on the 18th, Dianmu was still a very powerful storm Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 130 knots (150 mph). On its current track, the storm is expected to pass east of Okinawa and is forecast to weaken as conditions become less favorable as it approaches the main islands of southern Japan. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite monitored Dianmu?s progress as it strengthened in the West Pacific. The top image was taken at 11:48 UTC on June 13, 2004. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. 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). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). At the time of the first image, Dianmu was still a tropical depression with winds estimated at just 30 knots (35 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. TRMM shows a rather disorganized area of moderate (green) to light (blue areas) intensity rain with only weak evidence of a center. The center image was taken at 10:40 UTC on the 16th when Dianmu was a super typhoon. The PR did not pass over the center, but the IR data (white area) does show a very symmetrical cloud shield. The TMI captures some of the rainbands south of the center which have embedded areas of intense rainfall (dark red areas). The bottom image was taken at 10:26 UTC on the 18th when Diamu was classified as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 130 knots (150 mph). TRMM reveals that Dianmu has what is termed a ?double eyewall? structure that can occur in the most powerful tropical cyclones. It is apparent by the two concentric rings in the rain field. The northwestern half of the inner eyewall is made up of very intense rainrates (dark red areas) with intense rainrates also visible in the western portion of the outer eyewall. Eventually the outer eyewall will contract and replace the inner one.TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/homepage.html ], 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).
Super Typhoon Dianmu
Title Super Typhoon Dianmu
Description Once a powerful super typhoon, Dianmu is still a dangerous storm as it churns its way through the western Pacific headed for the southern islands of Japan. Dianmu was identified as a tropical depression on June 13, 2004, south of the Yap Islands and was quickly upgraded to a tropical storm. The next day, Dianmu went from a tropical storm to a minimal typhoon as it entered the southern part of the Philippine Sea heading generally northward. From 00Z on the 15th to 00Z on the 16th, Dianmu underwent rapid intensification with estimated sustained winds surging from 70 knots (81 mph) to 150 knots (173 mph), transforming it into a super typhoon. Fortunately, the storm was well away from any land masses. Dianmu remained a super typhoon until 12Z on the 17th as it moved north-northwest through the central Philippine Sea. At 12Z on the 18th, Dianmu was still a very powerful storm Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 130 knots (150 mph). On its current track, the storm is expected to pass east of Okinawa and is forecast to weaken as conditions become less favorable as it approaches the main islands of southern Japan. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite monitored Dianmu?s progress as it strengthened in the West Pacific. The top image was taken at 11:48 UTC on June 13, 2004. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. 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). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). At the time of the first image, Dianmu was still a tropical depression with winds estimated at just 30 knots (35 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. TRMM shows a rather disorganized area of moderate (green) to light (blue areas) intensity rain with only weak evidence of a center. The center image was taken at 10:40 UTC on the 16th when Dianmu was a super typhoon. The PR did not pass over the center, but the IR data (white area) does show a very symmetrical cloud shield. The TMI captures some of the rainbands south of the center which have embedded areas of intense rainfall (dark red areas). The bottom image was taken at 10:26 UTC on the 18th when Diamu was classified as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 130 knots (150 mph). TRMM reveals that Dianmu has what is termed a ?double eyewall? structure that can occur in the most powerful tropical cyclones. It is apparent by the two concentric rings in the rain field. The northwestern half of the inner eyewall is made up of very intense rainrates (dark red areas) with intense rainrates also visible in the western portion of the outer eyewall. Eventually the outer eyewall will contract and replace the inner one.TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/homepage.html ], 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).
Super Typhoon Dianmu
Title Super Typhoon Dianmu
Description The MODIS instrument onboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of Super Typhoon Dianmu on June 16, 2004 at 4:15 UTC. At the time this image was taken, Dianmu was located approximately 950 miles southeast of Kadena and was packing sustained winds of 180 mph with higher gusts to 220 mph. Dianmu is expected to continue on its north-northwest path and gradually turn to the north. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, NASA's Earth Observatory. Credit: NASA GSFC, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ]
Super Typhoon Dianmu
Title Super Typhoon Dianmu
Description The MODIS instrument onboard NASA's Terra satellite captured this true-color image of Typhoon Dianmu (Mother of Lightning in Chinese) on June 20 at 2:25 UTC. At the time this image was taken Dianmu was packing sustained winds of 92 mph with higher gusts to 115 mph and was moving north-northeast at 15 mph. The day after this image was captured, Dianmu weakened into a tropical storm and moved up the west coast of Japan. Initial news reports say that the storm killed three people, damaged homes, and halted transportation. The storm is expected to continue to move north across Japan's northern island, Hokkaido, and into the Sea of Okhotsk. The image is available in multiple resolutions. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC.
Super Typhoon Dianmu
Title Super Typhoon Dianmu
Description At one time Dianmu was a very powerful super typhoon packing winds of 155 knots (178 mph) over the central Philippine Sea back on the 16th and 17th of June 2004. As forecast, Dianmu weakened significantly as as it approached the main islands of Japan. Dianmu made landfall near the city of Muroto on the island of Shikoku in southern Japan early on the morning of the 21st of June 2004 (local time) as a minimal typhoon. The center of Dianmu passed over the center of the main Japanese island of Honshu before emerging into the Sea of Japan. The system continued to weaken and rapidly accelerate northward crossing over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido before heading out into the north Pacific. The storm was responsible for 3 deaths and 3 missing in Japan. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite continued to monitor Dianmu as it approached Japan. The first image was taken at 11:08 UTC on 19 June 2004 and shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. 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). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). At the time of this image, Dianmu was east of the central Ryukyu Islands and still a strong storm with winds estimated at 105 knots (121 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center soon after this image was taken. However, Dianmu was already in the process of rapidly weakening. TRMM shows Dianmu has a rather large eye with very little rain surrounding the center (blue areas represent light rain). Tropical cyclones are like large heat engines and require strong heating near their core to maintain their circulation. Rainfall provides a measure of that heating, and so without it, Dianmu can only continue to spin down and weaken. The next image was taken at 15:07 UTC on the 20th and shows the storm has become less organized and weaker as it nears Japan with almost no evidence of an eye visible in the rain field. A broad area of light to moderate rain (blue and green areas) wraps around the eastern and northern part of the storm. At this time, the maximum sustained winds were down to 70 knots (81 mph). The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi- satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center provides quantitative rainfall estimates over the global tropics. The final image shows MPA rainfall totals for the period 18-22 June 2004. Dianmu's track is marked by cyclone symbols at the 00:00 UTC times and crosses every 6 hours in between. The heaviest rainfall totals associated with Dianmu are on the order of 10 inches (red areas) and occur near where the storm made its initial landfall in southern Japan. Amounts from Dianmu are not excessive as the storm was moving rather quickly. The area of heavy rain that extends from the Korean peninsula across the Sea of Japan and merges with the rain from Dianmu over northern, Honshu is associated with a seasonal frontal system and is not directly due to the typhoon. 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), NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission.
Super Typhoon Dianmu
Title Super Typhoon Dianmu
Description At one time Dianmu was a very powerful super typhoon packing winds of 155 knots (178 mph) over the central Philippine Sea back on the 16th and 17th of June 2004. As forecast, Dianmu weakened significantly as as it approached the main islands of Japan. Dianmu made landfall near the city of Muroto on the island of Shikoku in southern Japan early on the morning of the 21st of June 2004 (local time) as a minimal typhoon. The center of Dianmu passed over the center of the main Japanese island of Honshu before emerging into the Sea of Japan. The system continued to weaken and rapidly accelerate northward crossing over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido before heading out into the north Pacific. The storm was responsible for 3 deaths and 3 missing in Japan. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite continued to monitor Dianmu as it approached Japan. The first image was taken at 11:08 UTC on 19 June 2004 and shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. 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). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). At the time of this image, Dianmu was east of the central Ryukyu Islands and still a strong storm with winds estimated at 105 knots (121 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center soon after this image was taken. However, Dianmu was already in the process of rapidly weakening. TRMM shows Dianmu has a rather large eye with very little rain surrounding the center (blue areas represent light rain). Tropical cyclones are like large heat engines and require strong heating near their core to maintain their circulation. Rainfall provides a measure of that heating, and so without it, Dianmu can only continue to spin down and weaken. The next image was taken at 15:07 UTC on the 20th and shows the storm has become less organized and weaker as it nears Japan with almost no evidence of an eye visible in the rain field. A broad area of light to moderate rain (blue and green areas) wraps around the eastern and northern part of the storm. At this time, the maximum sustained winds were down to 70 knots (81 mph). The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi- satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center provides quantitative rainfall estimates over the global tropics. The final image shows MPA rainfall totals for the period 18-22 June 2004. Dianmu's track is marked by cyclone symbols at the 00:00 UTC times and crosses every 6 hours in between. The heaviest rainfall totals associated with Dianmu are on the order of 10 inches (red areas) and occur near where the storm made its initial landfall in southern Japan. Amounts from Dianmu are not excessive as the storm was moving rather quickly. The area of heavy rain that extends from the Korean peninsula across the Sea of Japan and merges with the rain from Dianmu over northern, Honshu is associated with a seasonal frontal system and is not directly due to the typhoon. 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), NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission.
Super Typhoon Dianmu
Title Super Typhoon Dianmu
Description At one time Dianmu was a very powerful super typhoon packing winds of 155 knots (178 mph) over the central Philippine Sea back on the 16th and 17th of June 2004. As forecast, Dianmu weakened significantly as as it approached the main islands of Japan. Dianmu made landfall near the city of Muroto on the island of Shikoku in southern Japan early on the morning of the 21st of June 2004 (local time) as a minimal typhoon. The center of Dianmu passed over the center of the main Japanese island of Honshu before emerging into the Sea of Japan. The system continued to weaken and rapidly accelerate northward crossing over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido before heading out into the north Pacific. The storm was responsible for 3 deaths and 3 missing in Japan. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite continued to monitor Dianmu as it approached Japan. The first image was taken at 11:08 UTC on 19 June 2004 and shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. 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). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). At the time of this image, Dianmu was east of the central Ryukyu Islands and still a strong storm with winds estimated at 105 knots (121 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center soon after this image was taken. However, Dianmu was already in the process of rapidly weakening. TRMM shows Dianmu has a rather large eye with very little rain surrounding the center (blue areas represent light rain). Tropical cyclones are like large heat engines and require strong heating near their core to maintain their circulation. Rainfall provides a measure of that heating, and so without it, Dianmu can only continue to spin down and weaken. The next image was taken at 15:07 UTC on the 20th and shows the storm has become less organized and weaker as it nears Japan with almost no evidence of an eye visible in the rain field. A broad area of light to moderate rain (blue and green areas) wraps around the eastern and northern part of the storm. At this time, the maximum sustained winds were down to 70 knots (81 mph). The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi- satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center provides quantitative rainfall estimates over the global tropics. The final image shows MPA rainfall totals for the period 18-22 June 2004. Dianmu's track is marked by cyclone symbols at the 00:00 UTC times and crosses every 6 hours in between. The heaviest rainfall totals associated with Dianmu are on the order of 10 inches (red areas) and occur near where the storm made its initial landfall in southern Japan. Amounts from Dianmu are not excessive as the storm was moving rather quickly. The area of heavy rain that extends from the Korean peninsula across the Sea of Japan and merges with the rain from Dianmu over northern, Honshu is associated with a seasonal frontal system and is not directly due to the typhoon. 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), NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission.
Super Typhoon Dianmu
Title Super Typhoon Dianmu
Description At one time Dianmu was a very powerful super typhoon packing winds of 155 knots (178 mph) over the central Philippine Sea back on the 16th and 17th of June 2004. As forecast, Dianmu weakened significantly as as it approached the main islands of Japan. Dianmu made landfall near the city of Muroto on the island of Shikoku in southern Japan early on the morning of the 21st of June 2004 (local time) as a minimal typhoon. The center of Dianmu passed over the center of the main Japanese island of Honshu before emerging into the Sea of Japan. The system continued to weaken and rapidly accelerate northward crossing over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido before heading out into the north Pacific. The storm was responsible for 3 deaths and 3 missing in Japan. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite continued to monitor Dianmu as it approached Japan. The first image was taken at 11:08 UTC on 19 June 2004 and shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. 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). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). At the time of this image, Dianmu was east of the central Ryukyu Islands and still a strong storm with winds estimated at 105 knots (121 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center soon after this image was taken. However, Dianmu was already in the process of rapidly weakening. TRMM shows Dianmu has a rather large eye with very little rain surrounding the center (blue areas represent light rain). Tropical cyclones are like large heat engines and require strong heating near their core to maintain their circulation. Rainfall provides a measure of that heating, and so without it, Dianmu can only continue to spin down and weaken. The next image was taken at 15:07 UTC on the 20th and shows the storm has become less organized and weaker as it nears Japan with almost no evidence of an eye visible in the rain field. A broad area of light to moderate rain (blue and green areas) wraps around the eastern and northern part of the storm. At this time, the maximum sustained winds were down to 70 knots (81 mph). The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi- satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center provides quantitative rainfall estimates over the global tropics. The final image shows MPA rainfall totals for the period 18-22 June 2004. Dianmu's track is marked by cyclone symbols at the 00:00 UTC times and crosses every 6 hours in between. The heaviest rainfall totals associated with Dianmu are on the order of 10 inches (red areas) and occur near where the storm made its initial landfall in southern Japan. Amounts from Dianmu are not excessive as the storm was moving rather quickly. The area of heavy rain that extends from the Korean peninsula across the Sea of Japan and merges with the rain from Dianmu over northern, Honshu is associated with a seasonal frontal system and is not directly due to the typhoon. 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), NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission.
Super Typhoon Durian
Title Super Typhoon Durian
Description In what turned out to be a deadly combination, torrential rains brought on by the passage of Super Typhoon Durian and volcanic ash leftover from recent eruptions on the Mayon Volcano resulted in massive mudslides in the Central Philippines. As of December 4, 2006, at least 425 people had been confirmed dead, and nearly 600 more were still missing. Super Typhoon Durian (known as "Reming" in the Philippines) made landfall in the Central Philippines on November 30, 2006, with reported wind gusts of up to 140 mph. The center crossed over Albay province in the southern part of the main northern Philippines island, Luzon. Though winds were strong, it was the accompanying heavy rainfall that turned out to be a disaster for the region. Rainfall totals for November 24 through December 1, 2006, are shown in this image. Rainfall totals exceeding 200 millimeters (about 8 inches) are shown in red and extend from the western Philippine Sea across southern sections of Luzon, Catanduanes Island (northwesternmost island shown), and northern Samar. Locally up to 460 mm (about 18 inches) of rain were reported in Albay province. Some of the heaviest rain fell on the 2,462-meter-high Mayon volcano, the Philippines' most active volcano. An eruption earlier in the year left the steep slopes covered with a large amount of volcanic ash. It was this combination of ash and the torrential rains from Durian that led to the massive mudslides that buried entire villages in the region. The rainfall totals shown here are from the near-real-time, Multi- satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA), which is based in part on measurements from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite (TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]). TRMM was placed into low-Earth orbit in November 1997 to measure rainfall over the global Tropics using a combination of passive microwave and active radar sensors. 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)
Super Typhoon Durian
Title Super Typhoon Durian
Description Super Typhoon Durian came ashore in the Philippines on November 30, 2006. According to BBC News Service, [ http://news.bbc.co.uk/ ] the typhoon was quite powerful, with sustained winds as high as 230 kilometers per hour (140 miles per hour). The storm's name comes from a pungent fruit native to Southeast Asia. The twelfth typhoon of the season, Durian was projected as of November 30 to follow a track through the Philippines very similar to typhoons Xangsane, Cimaron, and Chebi, which all crossed the northern part of the island chain, bringing heavy rain and causing substantial damage. As with those other storms, Durian was expected to continue its eastward track and to cross the South China Sea, striking mainland Asia in Vietnam. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on November 30, 2006, at 1:00 p.m. local time (5:00 UTC). At this time, Typhoon Durian was well over the island chain, with the cloud-filled eye over the land and the spiral arms of clouds covering almost the entire northern Philippines. Sustained winds were around 230 kilometers/hour (140 mph), according to the University of Hawaii's Tropical Storm Information Center. [ http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/ ] These speeds were the peak strength projected for the storm, which was predicted to lose power as it traveled over the islands. Forecasts for its fate as it crossed the South China Sea were uncertain, but since the typhoon season was waning, sea surface temperatures in the South China Sea were not optimal for storm intensification, and forecasters were expecting the typhoon to gradually lose power well before coming ashore in southern Vietnam. The high-resolution image provided above is at MODIS' full spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2006334-1130/Durian.A2006334.0500 ] You can also download a 250-meter-resolution Typhoon Durian KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Nov2006/Durian.A2006334.0500.250m.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center.
Super Typhoon Durian
Title Super Typhoon Durian
Description The northern Philippines island Luzon suffered yet another direct hit from a super typhoon this season when Super Typhoon Durian (known as "Reming" in the Philippines) made landfall on the southeastern part of the island on November 30, 2006. The Philippine weather service recorded sustained winds of 190 kilometers per hour (118 mph) with gusts to 225 kph (140 mph) when the storm came ashore. Luzon was hit hard in 2006. Super Typhoon Xangsane also hit the southern part of the island on September 27. Super Typhoon Cimaron struck northern Luzon on the evening of October 29, and Typhoon Chebi hit northern Luzon on November 11. The 24th tropical depression of the Western Pacific season formed early on the morning of November 26 (local time) south of Guam and became a minimal tropical storm, named Durian, later that same day. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]) satellite captured this image of Durian on November 29, by which time the storm had reached super typhoon status, with winds of 240 kilometers per hour (150 miles per hour). The image was taken at 6:50 a.m. local time (22:50 UTC) as Durian was bearing down on Catanduanes Island in the central Philippines. The image shows rain intensity in different parts of the storm system. Rain rates in the center of the swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar, while those in the outer portion are from the TRMM Microwave Imager. The rain rates are overlaid on infrared data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner. Although the center of the storm does not fall within the swath observed by the Precipitation Radar in this image, it is clear from the Microwave Imager portion of the image that Durian had a well-defined eye surrounded by a symmetric eyewall (green ring). The extreme cyclonic winds in intense storms tend to smear out eyewall features. Soon after this image was taken Durians northern eyewall passed over Virac on the southern tip of Catanduanes Island. The center then made landfall along the southeastern portion of Luzon in the province of Albay before continuing westward through the central Philippines. The TRMM satellite was placed into its low-earth orbit in November 1997. Its primary mission is to measure rainfall from space, however, it has also served as a valuable platform for monitoring tropical cyclones, especially over remote parts of the open ocean. 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).
Super Typhoon Durian
Title Super Typhoon Durian
Description Super Typhoon Durian crossed the Philippines on November 30, 2006. According to BBC News Service, [ http://news.bbc.co.uk/ ] the typhoon was quite powerful, with sustained winds as high as 230 kilometers per hour (140 miles per hour). The storm's name comes from a pungent fruit native to Southeast Asia. In the Philippines, however, the typhoon was called Reming. The twelfth typhoon of the season, Durian followed a track through the Philippines very similar to typhoons Xangsane, Cimaron, and Chebi earlier in the year. Durian caused substantial damage and triggered landslides and flooding. According to the Red Cross, as of December 3, 2006, some 406 people in the Philippines had died from various causes directly linked to the typhoon, with some 398 people missing. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on December 3, 2006, at 1:30 p.m. local time (5:30 UTC). By this time, Typhoon Durian had passed through the island chain of the Philippines and crossed most of the South China Sea. The storm system was a well-defined, spiraling ball of clouds with an open eye at its center. Sustained winds were around 165 km/hr (105 mph), according to the University of Hawaii's Tropical Storm Information Center. [ http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/ ] Residents of southern Vietnam were bracing for the coming storm, which was expected to bring significant wind damage and flooding from heavy rains even though the typhoon had lost considerable power from its traverse through the Philippines. NASA image by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center.
Super Typhoon Durian
Title Super Typhoon Durian
Description Super Typhoon Durian crossed the Philippines on November 30, 2006. The storm's name comes from a pungent fruit native to Southeast Asia, but in the Philippines, the typhoon was called Reming. The twelfth typhoon of the season, Durian followed a track through the Philippines very similar to typhoons Xangsane, Cimaron, and Chebi earlier in the year. Durian caused substantial damage and triggered landslides and flooding. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14008 ] According to the Red Cross, as of December 3, 2006, some 406 people in the Philippines had died from various causes directly linked to the typhoon, with some 398 people missing. The typhoon lost considerable power as it crossed the island chain and regained only a little strength as it crossed the South China Sea before coming ashore on mainland Asia in southern Vietnam. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on December 4, 2006, at 10:10 a.m. local time (3:10 UTC), about three hours before the storm's center crossed the shoreline. The storm system had lost much of its shape and definition by the time. Although the storm lacked a clear eye, powerful thunderstorm clouds ("boiling" clouds) are visible in the heart of the storm. Sustained winds were around 133 kilometers/hour (82 mph), according to the Associated Press. Residents of southern Vietnam were bracing for the coming storm, which was expected to bring significant wind damage and flooding from heavy rain. Authorities evacuated about 14,000 people from the coastal section of Vietnam where the storm had been expected to hit. Ships at sea were ordered into coastal waters for safety. NASA image by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center.
Super Typhoon Fengshen
Title Super Typhoon Fengshen
Description Super Typhoon Fengshen can be seen over the central Pacific Ocean in this true color image taken on July 16, 2002, at 23:10 UTC by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA?s Terra spacecraft. Currently, Fengshen is roughly a thousand miles from the Northern Mariana Islands and packing winds of over 250 kilometers (155 miles) per hour. The typhoon, which has wind speeds equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane, is predicted to move west with little to no change in intensity. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
Super Typhoon Fengshen
Title Super Typhoon Fengshen
Description With sustained winds at 145 knots (167 miles per hour), Super Typhoon Fengshen reached Category 5 hurricane status?the most severe hurricane status?on Friday, July 19, 2002. This image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on Monday, July 22, 2002, when the super typhoon was several hundred miles east of Iwo Jima at the southern tip of Kyushu, Japan. The storm is churning the sea into 35-foot waves, and winds have been gusting up to 170 knots (196 miles per hour). In this image, the storm occupies a rectangle roughly 1000 kilometers wide and 1150 kilometers tall. If the western side of this storm were aligned with Nashville, Tennessee, it would cover the United States all the way east to the Atlantic Ocean, as far north as Akron, Ohio, and as far south as the Georgia-Florida border. Fengshen has been tracking northwestward over the past 24 hours, and is expected to weaken only slightly as it makes its way toward Japan, which is still recovering from floods and wind damage caused by Typhoons Chataan and Halong, which hit the country the previous week. Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of the scene at the sensor's fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapid Response Image Gallery. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
Super Typhoon Fengshen
Title Super Typhoon Fengshen
Description With sustained winds at 145 knots (167 miles per hour), Super Typhoon Fengshen reached Category 5 hurricane status?the most severe hurricane status?on Friday, July 19, 2002. This image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on Monday, July 22, 2002, when the super typhoon was several hundred miles east of Iwo Jima at the southern tip of Kyushu, Japan. The storm is churning the sea into 35-foot waves, and winds have been gusting up to 170 knots (196 miles per hour). In this image, the storm occupies a rectangle roughly 1000 kilometers wide and 1150 kilometers tall. If the western side of this storm were aligned with Nashville, Tennessee, it would cover the United States all the way east to the Atlantic Ocean, as far north as Akron, Ohio, and as far south as the Georgia-Florida border. Fengshen has been tracking northwestward over the past 24 hours, and is expected to weaken only slightly as it makes its way toward Japan, which is still recovering from floods and wind damage caused by Typhoons Chataan and Halong, which hit the country the previous week. Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of the scene at the sensor's fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapid Response Image Gallery. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
Super Typhoon Fengshen
Title Super Typhoon Fengshen
Description Both Typhoon Fengshen and Tropical Storm Fung-Wong can be seen over the western Pacific Ocean in this rare true color image taken on July 25, 2002, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA?s Terra spacecraft. Typhoon Fengshen, which has since been downgraded to a tropical storm, can be seen in the upper portion of the image, skirting southern Japan. As of 18:00 UTC, the tropical storm was just off the southern tip of the island nation and was packing winds of over 100 kilometers (63 miles) per hour. It is expected to come aground in China sometime in the next 24 hours. Tropical Storm Fung-Wong can be seen at the bottom portion of the image. It is expected to diminish into a tropical depression and also head towards southern Japan. As of 18:00 UTC, the storm was packing winds of 92 kilometers (58 miles) per hour. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, NASA Earth Observatory, data provided by the MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
Super Typhoon Haitang
Title Super Typhoon Haitang
Description Typhoon Haitang has been gradually building up strength in the northwest Pacific ocean several hundred kilometers from the Mariana Islands. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite at 04:10 UTC on July 14, 2005 (20:10 Eastern Daylight Time on July 13, 2005). At this time, the typhoon was just beginning to acquire the spiral pattern of a tropical cyclone, with winds reaching 140 kilometers per hour (75 knots). Haitang was heading roughly westward at around 22 km/hr (12 knots) towards Luzon. However, its path is predicted to swing gradually northward to take it north of Taiwan and ultimately into the Chinese coastline near Shanghai. If the typhoon continues to strengthen according to predictions, it will have steady winds as high as 220 km/hr (120 knots) when it makes landfall. However, predicting hurricane strength and intensity remains an inexact science, so communities throughout the potentially affected area keep a wary eye on this threatening storm. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team.
Super Typhoon Haitang
Title Super Typhoon Haitang
Description Typhoon Haitang is shown here churning steadily towards Taiwan and China. This image shows the storm's swirling wind patterns as observed by NASA's QuikSCAT satellite on July 14, 2005, at 19:19 UTC (14:19 Eastern Daylight Time). At this time, the typhoon was located hundreds of kilometers from the nearest major land masses. The image depicts wind speed in color and wind direction with small barbs. White barbs point to areas of heavy rain. The highest wind speeds, shown in purple, surround the center of the storm. Measurements of the wind strength of Typhoon Haitang show sustained winds of around 85 knots and gusts up to 105 knots at the time of the QuikSCAT observations. The images, however, reveal lower wind speeds. This is because the power of the storm makes accurate measurements difficult. The scatterometer sends pulses of microwave energy through the atmosphere to the ocean surface, and measures the energy that bounces back from the wind-roughened surface. The energy of the microwave pulses changes depending on wind speed and direction, giving scientists a way to monitor wind around the world. Tropical cyclones (the generic term for hurricanes and typhoons), however, are difficult to measure. To relate the radar energy return to actual wind speed, scientists compare measurements taken from buoys and other ground stations to data the satellite acquired at the same time and place. Because the high wind speeds generated by cyclones are rare, scientists do not have corresponding ground information to know how to translate data from the satellite for wind speeds above 50 knots (about 93 kilometers per hour or 58 miles per hour). Also, the unusually heavy rain found in a cyclone distorts the microwave pulses in a number of ways, making a conversion to accurate wind speed difficult. Instead, the scatterometer provides a nice picture of the relative wind speeds within the storm and shows wind direction. NASA image courtesy the QuikSCAT Science Team [ http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Super Typhoon Haitang
Title Super Typhoon Haitang
Description Super Typhoon Haitang is shown here bearing down on Taiwan on the morning of July 18, 2005. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite at 02:20 UTC (10:20 p.m. Taipei time). At this time, the typhoon had weakened slightly from a Category 4 to Category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Sustained winds were around 200 kilometers per hour (105 knots) with peak gusts as high as 240 km/hr (130 knots). The super typhoon has started to come ashore in Taiwan. As it crosses the island, the storm is losing some of its strength, but may then rebuild slightly as it crosses the Taiwan Straits and comes ashore again in eastern China. Projections call for it to make landfall in mainland China on July 19. In Taiwan, the storm has caused significant damage especially in the coastal towns of Hualien and Suao. At least one casuality has been due to the storm, where a woman was swept away by a flash flooding river in Taoyuan County, west of Taipei. NASA image provided courtesy of Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response team.
Super Typhoon Haitang
Title Super Typhoon Haitang
Description Taiwan suffered a direct hit from Typhoon Haitang on the afternoon of Monday July 18, 2005 local time with sustained winds reported at 184 kph (114 mph) by the Taiwan Central Weather Bureau. The storm cut directly across the north central part of the island and after crossing the Taiwan Straits is expected to make landfall again on the southeast coast of China. This image shows the storm at 03:59 UTC on the 17th of July as it approaches Taiwan. Rain rates in the center of the swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), while those in the outer portion are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). The PR shows a small, well-defined eye surrounded by tight concentric bands of moderate (green) to heavy (red) rain, especially to the northeast of the center. These features are indicative of a mature intense cyclone. At the time of this image, Haitang's sustained winds were estimated to be 140 knots (161 mph) by Joint Typhoon Warning Center, making it a Category 5 super typhoon. Launched in 1997, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has served as a valuable platform for monitoring tropical cyclones. 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).
Super Typhoon Haitang
Title Super Typhoon Haitang
Description Super Typhoon Haitang is shown here on the morning of July 20, 2005. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite at 05:15 UTC (3:15 p.m. local time), well after it come ashore onto mainland China and lost much of its power and been downgraded to a tropical storm. Four deaths in Taiwan are attributed to the storm as it passed over the island, and as many as 1 million people have been evacuated in mainland China. All flights out of the cities of Fuzhou and Quanzhou were cancelled in view of the danger of the storm. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team.
Super Typhoon Haitang
Title Super Typhoon Haitang
Description Super Typhoon Haitang is shown here bearing down on Taiwan on the afternoon of July 17, 2005. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite at 04:40 UTC (12:40 p.m. Taipei time). At this time, the typhoon had built into a Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale, sufficient for it to be dubbed a super typhoon. Sustained winds were around 230 kilometers per hour (125 knots) with peak gusts as high as 280 km/hr (150 knots). The super typhoon by this time was projected to change course and come ashore in Taiwan. As it crosses the island, the storm will lose some of its strength, but may then rebuild as it crosses the Taiwan Straits and comes ashore again in eastern China. Projections call for it to land in Taiwan early on July 18, and then make landfall in mainland China on July 19. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team.
Super Typhoon Haitang
Title Super Typhoon Haitang
Description Typhoon Haitang is shown here as observed by NASA's QuikSCAT satellite on July 15, 2005, at 08:29 UTC (17:29 in Tokyo). At this time, the typhoon had 185 kilometer per hour (100 knots) sustained winds, giving it a Category 3 rating on the Saffir-Simpson tropical storm scale. Taiwan is located to the west of the storm, not far off the typhoon's path at the time. The image depicts wind speed in color and wind direction with small barbs. White barbs point to areas of heavy rain. The highest wind speeds, shown in purple, surround the center of the storm. Measurements of the wind strength of Typhoon Haitang show sustained winds much stronger than those shown by QuikSCAT observations. This is because the power of the storm makes accurate measurements difficult. The scatterometer sends pulses of microwave energy through the atmosphere to the ocean surface, and measures the energy that bounces back from the wind-roughened surface. The energy of the microwave pulses changes depending on wind speed and direction, giving scientists a way to monitor wind around the world. Tropical cyclones (the generic term for hurricanes and typhoons), however, are difficult to measure. To relate the radar energy return to actual wind speed, scientists compare measurements taken from buoys and other ground stations to data the satellite acquired at the same time and place. Because the high wind speeds generated by cyclones are rare, scientists do not have corresponding ground information to know how to translate data from the satellite for wind speeds above 50 knots (about 93 kilometers per hour or 58 miles per hour). Also, the unusually heavy rain found in a cyclone distorts the microwave pulses in a number of ways, making a conversion to accurate wind speed difficult. Instead, the scatterometer provides a nice picture of the relative wind speeds within the storm and shows wind direction. NASA image courtesy the QuikSCAT Science Team [ http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Super Typhoon Halong in West …
Title Super Typhoon Halong in Western Pacific
Description On July 14, 2002, Super Typhoon Halong was east of Taiwan (left edge) in the western Pacific Ocean. At the time this image was taken the storm was a Category 4 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 115 knots (132 miles per hour), but as recently as July 12, winds were at 135 knots (155 miles per hour). Halong has moved northwards and pounded Okinawa, Japan, with heavy rain and high winds, just days after tropical Storm Chataan hit the country, creating flooding and killing several people. The storm is expected to be a continuing threat on Monday and Tuesday. This image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite on July 14, 2002. Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of the scene at the sensor's fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapid Response Image Gallery. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
Super Typhoon Halong in West …
Title Super Typhoon Halong in Western Pacific
Description On July 15, 2002, Super Typhoon Halong was south of Japan (top edge) in the western Pacific Ocean. Over the past twenty four hours, the typhoon skirted eastern Japan, injuring 9 people and cutting off power to thousands. The storm fizzled out just east of the northern island of Sapporo. As recently as Sunday, this Category 4 hurricane was packing maximum sustained winds of 115 knots (132 miles per hour). This image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite on July 15, 2002. Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of the scene at the sensor's fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapid Response Image Gallery. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC.
Super Typhoon Halong in West …
Title Super Typhoon Halong in Western Pacific
Description Typhoon Halong continued to hover off the east coast of Honshu, Japan, on July 16, 2002. This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from that date shows the storm draped over the northern portion of the island. The storm moved quickly up the coast of Japan, but still brought heavy rains and flooding, and disrupted trains and air traffic across Japan. The storm came within the same week as Typhoon Chataan, and the region is already looking ahead to the predicted track of another Typhoon, Fengshen, which is moving toward northwest through the western Pacific. Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of the scene at the sensor's fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapid Response Image Gallery. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
Super Typhoon Ma-On
Title Super Typhoon Ma-On
Description With sustained winds of 160 mph (257 kph) and gusts of up to 185 mph (298 kph), Super Typhoon Ma-On was situated due south of Japan on October 8, 2004. The eye of the storm was located about 621 miles (1,000 km) southwest of Tokyo and was moving north-northeastward at about 25 mph (40 kph). As the waters south of Japan are currently warmer than average, Ma-On may not weaken much as it approaches Japan, making it an extremely dangerous storm. Given its current trajectory, forecasts suggest that Super Typhoon Ma-On will make landfall somewhere between Kyoto and Tokyo within the next 48 hours. As Ma-On passes over mountains in the central part of the island, there will likely be extremely heavy precipitation in various places with the potential for flash flooding and mudslides. Local residents are encouraged to take safety precautions. The U.S. Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center [ http://www.npmoc.navy.mil/jtwc.html ] is an excellent source of timely information about Typhoon Ma-On as it approaches land. The true-color image above was acquired on October 8, 2004, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA?s Aqua satellite. The high-resolution copy available above is 500 meters per pixel, but additional copies [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004282-1008/Ma-On.A2004282.0405 ] are also available. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response team, Goddard Space Flight Center
Super Typhoon Ma-On
Title Super Typhoon Ma-On
Description The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]) satellite provides unique images of tropical cyclones that can be used to provide valuable information on their intensity and location, especially over remote parts of the open ocean. These images from TRMM show Typhoon Ma-on (26W) in the West Pacific both as a weak tropical depression, top left, and later as a very powerful super typhoon, center left, and back to a typhoon headed for Japan, lower left. Ma-on moved ashore over Shizuoka, a city 150 kilometers (93 miles) west of Tokyo, on October 10, 2004, before heading on to Tokyo. It is the record ninth typhoon to strike Japan in 2004, and the strongest to hit eastern Japan in the past ten years. According to local media reports, the storm left at least six people dead, just one week after Typhoon Meari [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12468 ], associated with Ma-on is north of the center (broad blue and green area). At the time of this image, Ma-on was a much weaker but still strong typhoon. Its maximum sustained winds diminished from an estimated 213 kilometers per hour (132 mph) at 00:00 UTC to 90 knots (104 mph) by 06:00 UTC, just after this image was taken. Ma-on originally began as a tropical depression on September 28, east of the Northern Mariana Islands. 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)., killed 27. These TRMM images show the development of the storm. The first image, top left, was taken at 03:20 UTC on the October 4, 2004. At the time of this image, Ma-on was categorized as a tropical depression by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center with maximum sustained winds estimated at just 56 kilometers per hour (35 mph). The image shows a horizontal map of the near surface rainfall intensity obtained from the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center portion of the swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar or PR, the first and only precipitation radar in space. The PR provides fine resolution rainfall data and details on its vertical structure. Rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager or TMI. The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). The top left image shows a large area of light (blue areas) to moderate intensity (green areas) rainfall with several embedded, localized areas of intense rainfall (dark red areas) with rain rates on the order of 50 millimeters per hour. The rain field, however, is still loosely organized with a slight amount of banding evident by the arcs in the moderate (green) intensity rain. Ma-on became a tropical storm a short time later. Ma-on intensified slowly at first, remaining a tropical storm on the 5th and becoming a Category 1 typhoon on the 6th. On the 7th of October, Ma-on underwent what is known as rapid intensification and jumped from a Category 1 storm to a Category 5 storm in the span of just 24 hours. The second image, center left, was taken at 02:54 UTC on October 8, just after Ma-on had completed its cycle of rapid intensification. This TRMM image reveals a small, tight eye surrounded by a complete, symmetrical eyewall of moderate (green) to intense rain (red areas), characteristic of a mature, intense cyclone. The lower right portion of the eyewall is missing due to an artifact in the data. At the time of this image, Ma-on was estimated to have sustained winds of 260 kilometers per hour (161 mph), a powerful Category 5 super typhoon. The right image was also taken on October 8, and shows a vertical slice through the center of Ma-on looking from the west taken by the PR. The image shows an area of extremely intense rain (black vertical area) extending vertically upward associated with the eyewall. This rain extends well above the melting band (horizontal area of brighter yellows) and indicates very strong convection. Ma-on was expected to weaken slightly as it headed for the southern islands of Japan. The lower left image shows Typhoon Ma-on at 05:16 UTC on October 9, the day before it moved ashore. TRMM reveals that Ma-on had weakened significantly as forecast. In contrast to the symmetrical structure of the eye seen the previous day, the eye now appears elliptical and is open on the southeast quadrant. A band of intense rain (dark red arc) marks the northern half of the eyewall. Overall, the vast majority of the rain
Super Typhoon Ma-On
Title Super Typhoon Ma-On
Description The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]) satellite provides unique images of tropical cyclones that can be used to provide valuable information on their intensity and location, especially over remote parts of the open ocean. These images from TRMM show Typhoon Ma-on (26W) in the West Pacific both as a weak tropical depression, top left, and later as a very powerful super typhoon, center left, and back to a typhoon headed for Japan, lower left. Ma-on moved ashore over Shizuoka, a city 150 kilometers (93 miles) west of Tokyo, on October 10, 2004, before heading on to Tokyo. It is the record ninth typhoon to strike Japan in 2004, and the strongest to hit eastern Japan in the past ten years. According to local media reports, the storm left at least six people dead, just one week after Typhoon Meari [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12468 ], associated with Ma-on is north of the center (broad blue and green area). At the time of this image, Ma-on was a much weaker but still strong typhoon. Its maximum sustained winds diminished from an estimated 213 kilometers per hour (132 mph) at 00:00 UTC to 90 knots (104 mph) by 06:00 UTC, just after this image was taken. Ma-on originally began as a tropical depression on September 28, east of the Northern Mariana Islands. 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)., killed 27. These TRMM images show the development of the storm. The first image, top left, was taken at 03:20 UTC on the October 4, 2004. At the time of this image, Ma-on was categorized as a tropical depression by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center with maximum sustained winds estimated at just 56 kilometers per hour (35 mph). The image shows a horizontal map of the near surface rainfall intensity obtained from the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center portion of the swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar or PR, the first and only precipitation radar in space. The PR provides fine resolution rainfall data and details on its vertical structure. Rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager or TMI. The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). The top left image shows a large area of light (blue areas) to moderate intensity (green areas) rainfall with several embedded, localized areas of intense rainfall (dark red areas) with rain rates on the order of 50 millimeters per hour. The rain field, however, is still loosely organized with a slight amount of banding evident by the arcs in the moderate (green) intensity rain. Ma-on became a tropical storm a short time later. Ma-on intensified slowly at first, remaining a tropical storm on the 5th and becoming a Category 1 typhoon on the 6th. On the 7th of October, Ma-on underwent what is known as rapid intensification and jumped from a Category 1 storm to a Category 5 storm in the span of just 24 hours. The second image, center left, was taken at 02:54 UTC on October 8, just after Ma-on had completed its cycle of rapid intensification. This TRMM image reveals a small, tight eye surrounded by a complete, symmetrical eyewall of moderate (green) to intense rain (red areas), characteristic of a mature, intense cyclone. The lower right portion of the eyewall is missing due to an artifact in the data. At the time of this image, Ma-on was estimated to have sustained winds of 260 kilometers per hour (161 mph), a powerful Category 5 super typhoon. The right image was also taken on October 8, and shows a vertical slice through the center of Ma-on looking from the west taken by the PR. The image shows an area of extremely intense rain (black vertical area) extending vertically upward associated with the eyewall. This rain extends well above the melting band (horizontal area of brighter yellows) and indicates very strong convection. Ma-on was expected to weaken slightly as it headed for the southern islands of Japan. The lower left image shows Typhoon Ma-on at 05:16 UTC on October 9, the day before it moved ashore. TRMM reveals that Ma-on had weakened significantly as forecast. In contrast to the symmetrical structure of the eye seen the previous day, the eye now appears elliptical and is open on the southeast quadrant. A band of intense rain (dark red arc) marks the northern half of the eyewall. Overall, the vast majority of the rain
Super Typhoon Ma-On
Title Super Typhoon Ma-On
Description The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]) satellite provides unique images of tropical cyclones that can be used to provide valuable information on their intensity and location, especially over remote parts of the open ocean. These images from TRMM show Typhoon Ma-on (26W) in the West Pacific both as a weak tropical depression, top left, and later as a very powerful super typhoon, center left, and back to a typhoon headed for Japan, lower left. Ma-on moved ashore over Shizuoka, a city 150 kilometers (93 miles) west of Tokyo, on October 10, 2004, before heading on to Tokyo. It is the record ninth typhoon to strike Japan in 2004, and the strongest to hit eastern Japan in the past ten years. According to local media reports, the storm left at least six people dead, just one week after Typhoon Meari [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12468 ], associated with Ma-on is north of the center (broad blue and green area). At the time of this image, Ma-on was a much weaker but still strong typhoon. Its maximum sustained winds diminished from an estimated 213 kilometers per hour (132 mph) at 00:00 UTC to 90 knots (104 mph) by 06:00 UTC, just after this image was taken. Ma-on originally began as a tropical depression on September 28, east of the Northern Mariana Islands. 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)., killed 27. These TRMM images show the development of the storm. The first image, top left, was taken at 03:20 UTC on the October 4, 2004. At the time of this image, Ma-on was categorized as a tropical depression by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center with maximum sustained winds estimated at just 56 kilometers per hour (35 mph). The image shows a horizontal map of the near surface rainfall intensity obtained from the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center portion of the swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar or PR, the first and only precipitation radar in space. The PR provides fine resolution rainfall data and details on its vertical structure. Rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager or TMI. The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). The top left image shows a large area of light (blue areas) to moderate intensity (green areas) rainfall with several embedded, localized areas of intense rainfall (dark red areas) with rain rates on the order of 50 millimeters per hour. The rain field, however, is still loosely organized with a slight amount of banding evident by the arcs in the moderate (green) intensity rain. Ma-on became a tropical storm a short time later. Ma-on intensified slowly at first, remaining a tropical storm on the 5th and becoming a Category 1 typhoon on the 6th. On the 7th of October, Ma-on underwent what is known as rapid intensification and jumped from a Category 1 storm to a Category 5 storm in the span of just 24 hours. The second image, center left, was taken at 02:54 UTC on October 8, just after Ma-on had completed its cycle of rapid intensification. This TRMM image reveals a small, tight eye surrounded by a complete, symmetrical eyewall of moderate (green) to intense rain (red areas), characteristic of a mature, intense cyclone. The lower right portion of the eyewall is missing due to an artifact in the data. At the time of this image, Ma-on was estimated to have sustained winds of 260 kilometers per hour (161 mph), a powerful Category 5 super typhoon. The right image was also taken on October 8, and shows a vertical slice through the center of Ma-on looking from the west taken by the PR. The image shows an area of extremely intense rain (black vertical area) extending vertically upward associated with the eyewall. This rain extends well above the melting band (horizontal area of brighter yellows) and indicates very strong convection. Ma-on was expected to weaken slightly as it headed for the southern islands of Japan. The lower left image shows Typhoon Ma-on at 05:16 UTC on October 9, the day before it moved ashore. TRMM reveals that Ma-on had weakened significantly as forecast. In contrast to the symmetrical structure of the eye seen the previous day, the eye now appears elliptical and is open on the southeast quadrant. A band of intense rain (dark red arc) marks the northern half of the eyewall. Overall, the vast majority of the rain
Super Typhoon Ma-On
Title Super Typhoon Ma-On
Description The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]) satellite provides unique images of tropical cyclones that can be used to provide valuable information on their intensity and location, especially over remote parts of the open ocean. These images from TRMM show Typhoon Ma-on (26W) in the West Pacific both as a weak tropical depression, top left, and later as a very powerful super typhoon, center left, and back to a typhoon headed for Japan, lower left. Ma-on moved ashore over Shizuoka, a city 150 kilometers (93 miles) west of Tokyo, on October 10, 2004, before heading on to Tokyo. It is the record ninth typhoon to strike Japan in 2004, and the strongest to hit eastern Japan in the past ten years. According to local media reports, the storm left at least six people dead, just one week after Typhoon Meari [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12468 ], associated with Ma-on is north of the center (broad blue and green area). At the time of this image, Ma-on was a much weaker but still strong typhoon. Its maximum sustained winds diminished from an estimated 213 kilometers per hour (132 mph) at 00:00 UTC to 90 knots (104 mph) by 06:00 UTC, just after this image was taken. Ma-on originally began as a tropical depression on September 28, east of the Northern Mariana Islands. 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)., killed 27. These TRMM images show the development of the storm. The first image, top left, was taken at 03:20 UTC on the October 4, 2004. At the time of this image, Ma-on was categorized as a tropical depression by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center with maximum sustained winds estimated at just 56 kilometers per hour (35 mph). The image shows a horizontal map of the near surface rainfall intensity obtained from the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center portion of the swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar or PR, the first and only precipitation radar in space. The PR provides fine resolution rainfall data and details on its vertical structure. Rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager or TMI. The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). The top left image shows a large area of light (blue areas) to moderate intensity (green areas) rainfall with several embedded, localized areas of intense rainfall (dark red areas) with rain rates on the order of 50 millimeters per hour. The rain field, however, is still loosely organized with a slight amount of banding evident by the arcs in the moderate (green) intensity rain. Ma-on became a tropical storm a short time later. Ma-on intensified slowly at first, remaining a tropical storm on the 5th and becoming a Category 1 typhoon on the 6th. On the 7th of October, Ma-on underwent what is known as rapid intensification and jumped from a Category 1 storm to a Category 5 storm in the span of just 24 hours. The second image, center left, was taken at 02:54 UTC on October 8, just after Ma-on had completed its cycle of rapid intensification. This TRMM image reveals a small, tight eye surrounded by a complete, symmetrical eyewall of moderate (green) to intense rain (red areas), characteristic of a mature, intense cyclone. The lower right portion of the eyewall is missing due to an artifact in the data. At the time of this image, Ma-on was estimated to have sustained winds of 260 kilometers per hour (161 mph), a powerful Category 5 super typhoon. The right image was also taken on October 8, and shows a vertical slice through the center of Ma-on looking from the west taken by the PR. The image shows an area of extremely intense rain (black vertical area) extending vertically upward associated with the eyewall. This rain extends well above the melting band (horizontal area of brighter yellows) and indicates very strong convection. Ma-on was expected to weaken slightly as it headed for the southern islands of Japan. The lower left image shows Typhoon Ma-on at 05:16 UTC on October 9, the day before it moved ashore. TRMM reveals that Ma-on had weakened significantly as forecast. In contrast to the symmetrical structure of the eye seen the previous day, the eye now appears elliptical and is open on the southeast quadrant. A band of intense rain (dark red arc) marks the northern half of the eyewall. Overall, the vast majority of the rain
Super Typhoon Maemi
Title Super Typhoon Maemi
Description The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has provided some remarkable images of Super Typhoon Maemi in the western Pacific from its organization into a minimal typhoon well east of the Philippines to its height as a super typhoon with winds over 155 mph as it was approaching the southern Ryuku Islands. During the storm's most intense phase, TRMM was able to capture the evolution of Maemi's eyewall structure as it was starting to undergo a process known as"eyewall replacement," whereby two concentric eyewalls are present before the outer eyewall collapses down to replace the original inner eyewall. This process can occur in very intense typhoons and hurricanes. The first image (top two panels) was taken at 10:58 UTC on 10 September 2003, just as Maemi was approaching the southern Ryuku Islands. At that time, Maemi was classified as a Category 5 super typhoon by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center with sustained winds estimated at 170 mph. The left panel shows an infrared (IR) image from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). In it, Maemi appears very symmetrical with a well-defined eye and good cirrus outflow. In the right panel, rainfall rates from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR) and TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI), which contains the center of the storm, are overlaid on the VIRS data. Though the heaviest rainfall rates (darker reds) are located on the northwest side of the eyewall, moderate (green) to intense (darker reds) rainfall rates are contained throughout a well-defined tight inner eyewall. This inner core is surrounded by a ring of minimal rainfall rates with a broader band of moderate to intense rainfall outside of that. The next image (lower panels) was taken almost 24 hours later at 10:02 UTC on September 11. Again the VIRS IR image (left panel) shows a symmetrical storm with an even smaller well-defined eye and a broad cirrus outflow. The rainfall structure (right panel) is now very different, however. It shows that the innermost core of rainfall associated with the original eyewall, has weakened significantly. Instead, a new second eyewall, shown by the sharp ring of moderate (green areas) to intense (darker red areas) rainfall rates further out from the center, is emerging and has contracted towards the center though ultimately it would not replace the inner the eyewall. At the time of the second images, Maemi had winds estimated at 155 mph and had just passed the southern Ryuku Islands. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency NASDA. Image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Super Typhoon Maemi
Title Super Typhoon Maemi
Description *animations:* animation (4 MB MPEG) As Typhoon Maemi was churning in the waters of the East China Sea, the TRMM satellite captured this image. The accompanying visualization zooms down to the storm and peels away the clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. Yellow areas represent areas where rain is falling at a rate of 0.5 inches per hour, greens represent areas where rain is falling at a rate of 1 inch per hour while the red areas are indicative of rain rates of 2 inches per hour. Images and animations courtesy NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio.
Super Typhoon Maemi
Title Super Typhoon Maemi
Description The MODIS instrument onboard NASA's Terra satellite captured this true-color image of Typhoon Maemi located approximately 400 miles south-southest of Okinawa, Japan. At the time this image was taken, Maemi was packing sustained winds of 172 mph with gusts to 200 mph. Maemi is the Korean name for a cicada that legend says chirps madly to warn of a coming typhoon. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC.
Super Typhoon Maemi
Title Super Typhoon Maemi
Description The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] (TRMM) satellite took this image of Typhoon Maemi organizing in the western Pacific about 900 miles east of the northern Philippines. At the time of this overpass, 18:41 UTC on 7 September 2003, Maemi was classified as a Category 1 typhoon by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center with winds estimated at 75 mph. The image gives a top down view of the storm with rainfall rates overlaid on TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS) data (white areas). The rainfall rates were recorded by the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR) in the inner swath and the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) in the outer swath. The image shows that Maemi has a partial eyewall, a sign that the storm is not yet fully organized. Rain is falling at an intense 2 inches per hour on the eastern side of the center (semicircular dark red area), releasing heat energy into the core of the storm. TRMM images like this are providing a rare glimpse as to how the eyewall actually comes together in a developing storm. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency NASDA. Image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Super Typhoon Nabi
Title Super Typhoon Nabi
Description The calm eye of Typhoon Nabi stands out like a bulls-eye in the center of the concentric circles of color that make up the storm. The colors represent wind speed, with purple and pink showing the highest winds, while tiny barbs show the wind's direction spinning around the eye of the storm. The white barbs indicate regions of heavy rainfall. The image was created using data collected by the QuikSCAT satellite on September 1, 2005, when Nabi was growing into a powerful super typhoon with winds of 260 kilometers per hour (160 miles per hour, 140 knots) and gusts to 315 km/hr (196 mph, 170 knots). At the time this image was taken, however, Nabi had winds of about 213 km/hr (132 mph, 115 knots) with gusts to 260 km/hr (160 mph, 140 knots), making it the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. The wind speeds shown in this image don't match the winds reported by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. This is because QuikSCAT measures near-surface wind speeds over the ocean based on how the winds affect the ocean. The satellite sends out high-frequency radio waves, some of which bounce off the ocean and return to the satellite. Rough, storm-tossed seas return more of the waves, creating a strong signal, while a mirror-smooth surface returns a weaker signal. To learn to match wind speeds with the type of signal that returns to the satellite, scientists compare wind measurements taken by ocean buoys to the strength of the signal received by the satellite. The more measurements scientists have, the more accurately they can correlate wind speed to the returning radar signal. Typhoons and hurricanes are relatively rare. This means that scientists have few buoy measurements to compare to the data they get from the satellite and can't match the satellite measurements to exact wind speeds. Instead, the image provides a clear picture of relative wind speeds, showing how large the strong center of the storm is and which direction winds are blowing. To learn more about measuring winds from space, check out NASA's Winds [ http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm ] web site. NASA image courtesy the QuikSCAT Science Team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Super Typhoon Nabi
Title Super Typhoon Nabi
Description Super Typhoon Nabi was a Category 3 typhoon in the western Pacific when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image on September 2, 2005, at 11:55 a.m. Tokyo time. It had sustained winds of around 200 kilometers an hour (160 miles per hour) and was located roughly 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from Saipan and Okinawa at that time. It was predicted to gather strength and make landfall at the southern end of the Korean peninsula early on September 7. However, the range of possible storm tracks as of September 2 takes in possibilities ranging from Shanghai on Asian mainland to Kyoto on the southern end of the Japanese Islands. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team.
Super Typhoon Nabi
Title Super Typhoon Nabi
Description Typhoon Nabi was a Category 1 typhoon in the western Pacific when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image on August 31, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. Tokyo time. It had sustained winds of around 160 kilometers an hour (100 miles per hour). It was predicted to gather strength in coming days and make landfall in southern Japan early on September 5. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team.
Super Typhoon Nabi
Title Super Typhoon Nabi
Description Typhoon Nabi was a Category 2 typhoon in the western Pacific when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image on September 6, 2005 at 11:05 a.m. Tokyo time. It had sustained winds of around 160 kilometers an hour (100 miles per hour), and it was heading north across the southern end of Japan. The eye of the storm is roughly centered in the image, and the thick storm clouds completely hide the island of Kyushu. To the northeast of the eye, the smaller island of Shikoku and the largest Japanese island, Honshu, are also under the clouds. These clouds brought a deluge to the southern islands and caused dangerous landslides in the region's mountainous terrain. The landslides killed several people on Kyushu. As high waves pounded the coast, as much as 51 inches of rain may have fallen in 24 hours as the storm moved slowly northward into the Sea of Japan. The Japanese government had ordered evacuations for more than 100,000 people in the southern islands, according to reports from BBC News. Flights, road traffic, and ferry services were disrupted, and hundreds of thousands of people and businesses lost power. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team.
Super Typhoon Nabi
Title Super Typhoon Nabi
Description Typoon Nabi, once a powerful super typhoon, made landfall on Japan's main southern island of Kyushu with sustained winds reported at 126 kilometers per hour (78 miles per hour). Nabi, which means "butterfly" in Korean, continued on over the southwestern tip of Honshu, triggering mudslides and flooding along the way, before heading out into the Sea of Japan. The storm left 17 dead and 9 missing in Japan, many as a result of mudslides. Four people were also reported missing in Korea. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity within Nabi as observed by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite. Rain rates in the center of the swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), while those in the outer portion are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). The image shows Nabi at 08:29 UTC on September 5 as the large eye of the storm is bearing down on southern Japan. This dramatic image from TRMM reveals some important clues about the storm. The eye is very large but still closed with no rain visible in the broad center. The storm is relatively strong but in the process of slowly spinning down. The large eye indicates that the wind field has spread out, something that can occur in the later stages of strong tropical cyclones, making it unlikely that the storm can reintensify. At the time of the image, Nabi was a Category 3 typhoon with sustained winds estimated at 200 km/hr (125 mph). Nabi would continue to weaken as it approached the coastline. The TRMM satellite has followed Nabi's progress across the West Pacific. TRMM was launched in November 1997 to estimate rainfall over the global tropics and has proven itself to be a valuable platform for monitoring tropical cyclones, especially over remote parts of the open ocean. With its array of active and passive sensors, TRMM can look into the very heart of these storms. These two images of Nabi were taken by TRMM and capture the storm during its weakening stage. 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).
Super Typhoon Pongsona
Title Super Typhoon Pongsona
Description Super Typhoon Pongsona extensively damaged the U.S. Island of Guam in the central Pacific on Sunday, December 8. This is the second major assault on Guam by an intense tropical cyclone in five years (Super Typhoon Paka devastated Guam in December, 1997). In addition to Guam, heavy damage was also sustained on nearby Rota and Tinian. Maximum sustained winds were 150 mph with peak gusts at 184 mph. This image shows TRMM?s view of Pongsona as the storm approached Guam on December 7. The view looks down on top of the storm, showing the cloud tops as seen by the Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (GMS) and the rainfall patterns within (provided by the TRMM Precipitation Radar). The edge of the TRMM orbit cuts across the eye, but nevertheless much of the intense eyewall structure can be seen. Extreme rain rates (dark red colors) attest to the storm?s super typhoon status. The animation displays a vertical slice through the storm and shows extremely deep clouds towering northwest of the eye. The intense rains in these clouds release vast amounts of heat energy, powering the storm and spinning up some of the most extreme winds found in nature. *animations* ÿÿmovie (1.3 MB MPEG) Image courtesy of Jeff Halverson, TRMM Outreach Scientist and Hal Pierce, TRMM Visualizer, both from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
Super Typhoon Pongsona
Title Super Typhoon Pongsona
Description Super Typhoon Pongsona extensively damaged the U.S. Island of Guam in the central Pacific on Sunday, December 8. This is the second major assault on Guam by an intense tropical cyclone in five years (Super Typhoon Paka devastated Guam in December, 1997). In addition to Guam, heavy damage was also sustained on nearby Rota and Tinian. Maximum sustained winds were 150 mph with peak gusts at 184 mph. This image shows TRMM?s view of Pongsona as the storm approached Guam on December 7. The view looks down on top of the storm, showing the cloud tops as seen by the Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (GMS) and the rainfall patterns within (provided by the TRMM Precipitation Radar). The edge of the TRMM orbit cuts across the eye, but nevertheless much of the intense eyewall structure can be seen. Extreme rain rates (dark red colors) attest to the storm?s super typhoon status. The animation displays a vertical slice through the storm and shows extremely deep clouds towering northwest of the eye. The intense rains in these clouds release vast amounts of heat energy, powering the storm and spinning up some of the most extreme winds found in nature. *animations* ÿÿmovie (1.3 MB MPEG) Image courtesy of Jeff Halverson, TRMM Outreach Scientist and Hal Pierce, TRMM Visualizer, both from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
Super Typhoon Sepat
Title Super Typhoon Sepat
Description Super Typhoon Sepat came ashore in Taiwan on August 17, 2007, after bringing torrential rain and flooding to the Philippines the day before. Flights to and from Tapei, the island's capital, were canceled and Chinese authorities were calling all ships at sea to come back to shore in anticipation of the powerful typhoon, said news reports. The typhoon was classified as Category 5 typhoon, [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml ] the very top of the scale, with sustained winds of 184 kilometers per hour (114 miles per hour), according to CNN. At 10:25 a.m. local time (02:25 UTC) on August 16, 2007, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image, Super Typhoon Sepat was still well away from its coming encounter with the Philippines and Taiwan. Winds were measured at a sustained speed as high as 257 km/hr (161 mph) at the time of this image, according to the University of Hawaii's Tropical Storm Information Center. [ http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/ ] The storm's strength is evident in this image from its large size, well-defined spiral structure, and obvious large eye. Some clouds are present in the central eye: a completely clear eye is a tell-tale sign of the most powerful storms, though some clouds can be present in the eye of a powerful storm, as is the case here. NASA image by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at Goddard Space Flight Center.
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