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Floods in Southern Taiwan
| Title |
Floods in Southern Taiwan |
| Description |
Once a powerful super typhoon packing winds of 125 knots (144 mph) as it approached the northern Philippines on June 29, 2004, Mindulle weakened as it moved across the West Pacific, leaving a path of destruction. The bulk of the damage, in the northern Philippines and Taiwan, was not due to Mindulle's strong winds, however, but to the heavy rains the storm generated that resulted in widespread flooding and mudslides. The storm was responsible for at least 31 fatalities in the Philippines, and 11 more are still missing. At least 22 fatalities occurred in Taiwan and 14 others are still missing. Almost all of the deaths were a direct result of flooding and mudslides. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] (TRMM) satellite has been monitoring rainfall over the global tropics since its launch in November of 1997 using both a microwave imager and the first precipitation radar in space. 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. MPA rainfall totals between June 23 and July 4, 2004 are shown for the West Pacific and surrounding areas. Mindulle's track is denoted by the cyclone symbols shown at the 00:00 UTC positions beginning at 00:00 UTC on June 23, 2004. Mindulle's path is also clearly identified by the trail of heavy rain (dark red areas) across the Philippine Sea. The storm's slow forward speed as evidenced by the closely positioned cyclone symbols was responsible for the near 20-inch rainfall totals (dark reds) that stretch across the far the western part of the Philippine Sea and over the northern part of the island of Luzon. Twenty-inch rainfall accumulations are also visible over central and southern parts of Taiwan. Significantly smaller amounts of rainfall occur along the northern part of Mindulle's path as the storm accelerated as it moved north of Taiwan and began moving much faster. 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). |
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Floods in Southern Taiwan
| Title |
Floods in Southern Taiwan |
| Description |
Once a powerful super typhoon packing winds of 125 knots (144 mph) as it approached the northern Philippines on June 29, 2004, Mindulle weakened as it moved across the West Pacific, leaving a path of destruction. The bulk of the damage, in the northern Philippines and Taiwan, was not due to Mindulle's strong winds, however, but to the heavy rains the storm generated that resulted in widespread flooding and mudslides. The storm was responsible for at least 31 fatalities in the Philippines, and 11 more are still missing. At least 22 fatalities occurred in Taiwan and 14 others are still missing. Almost all of the deaths were a direct result of flooding and mudslides. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] (TRMM) satellite has been monitoring rainfall over the global tropics since its launch in November of 1997 using both a microwave imager and the first precipitation radar in space. 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. MPA rainfall totals between June 23 and July 4, 2004 are shown for the West Pacific and surrounding areas. Mindulle's track is denoted by the cyclone symbols shown at the 00:00 UTC positions beginning at 00:00 UTC on June 23, 2004. Mindulle's path is also clearly identified by the trail of heavy rain (dark red areas) across the Philippine Sea. The storm's slow forward speed as evidenced by the closely positioned cyclone symbols was responsible for the near 20-inch rainfall totals (dark reds) that stretch across the far the western part of the Philippine Sea and over the northern part of the island of Luzon. Twenty-inch rainfall accumulations are also visible over central and southern parts of Taiwan. Significantly smaller amounts of rainfall occur along the northern part of Mindulle's path as the storm accelerated as it moved north of Taiwan and began moving much faster. 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). |
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Tropical Storm Kompasu
| Title |
Tropical Storm Kompasu |
| Description |
Tropical Storm Kompasu hit the southern coastline of China near Hong Kong on Friday July 16, 2004 with winds of up to 45 mph. No significant damage was reported, but 12 people were injured by the storm. Kompasu formed into a tropical depression in the central Philippine Sea on the 10th of July. The system moved due west through the Luzon Strait south of Taiwan and emerged into the northern South China Sea. Kompasu strengthened only minimally becoming a weak tropical storm on the 14th as it passed through the strait. The storm then turned northwest before striking the south coast of China. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] or TRMM satellite has so far continued to fulfill its mission of monitoring rainfall over the global tropics since its launch in November of 1997. With its array of passive and active sensors, TRMM has also been providing a unique perspective on tropical cyclones. Such was the case with Kompasu. The first image, top, was taken at 22:21 UTC on July 14, 2004, after Kompasu had entered the northern South China Sea. Kompasu was then a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds estimated at 45 knots (52 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first and only precipitation radar in space, and those in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). This particular image reveals only a partially organized storm. Some banding is evident in the rain field (blue and green arcs), but the storm does not have an eye and nor is there any significant rainfall nears its center. This indicates that Kompasu is not likely to intensify very rapidly. The second image was taken at 05:35 UTC on the 16th just as Kompasu was about to hit the coast of China. The storm is still lacking an eye, and rain field is very asymmetrical with most of the rain located south or southeast of the center (blue, green and red areas). The heaviest rain (red) appears just south of the center. Maximum sustained winds at this time were only estimated to be about 40 knots (46 mph). Another image taken at the same time on July 16 shows a vertical cross section through the center of the storm from the PR looking northeast. It shows the deeper, more intense rain (dark red area) southeast of the center on the right and only weak, shallow rain (small mainly green area) northwest of the center on the left. TRMM data and images are routinely used by operational centers such as the NOAA Hurricane Prediction Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
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Tropical Storm Kompasu
| Title |
Tropical Storm Kompasu |
| Description |
Tropical Storm Kompasu hit the southern coastline of China near Hong Kong on Friday July 16, 2004 with winds of up to 45 mph. No significant damage was reported, but 12 people were injured by the storm. Kompasu formed into a tropical depression in the central Philippine Sea on the 10th of July. The system moved due west through the Luzon Strait south of Taiwan and emerged into the northern South China Sea. Kompasu strengthened only minimally becoming a weak tropical storm on the 14th as it passed through the strait. The storm then turned northwest before striking the south coast of China. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] or TRMM satellite has so far continued to fulfill its mission of monitoring rainfall over the global tropics since its launch in November of 1997. With its array of passive and active sensors, TRMM has also been providing a unique perspective on tropical cyclones. Such was the case with Kompasu. The first image, top, was taken at 22:21 UTC on July 14, 2004, after Kompasu had entered the northern South China Sea. Kompasu was then a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds estimated at 45 knots (52 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first and only precipitation radar in space, and those in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). This particular image reveals only a partially organized storm. Some banding is evident in the rain field (blue and green arcs), but the storm does not have an eye and nor is there any significant rainfall nears its center. This indicates that Kompasu is not likely to intensify very rapidly. The second image was taken at 05:35 UTC on the 16th just as Kompasu was about to hit the coast of China. The storm is still lacking an eye, and rain field is very asymmetrical with most of the rain located south or southeast of the center (blue, green and red areas). The heaviest rain (red) appears just south of the center. Maximum sustained winds at this time were only estimated to be about 40 knots (46 mph). Another image taken at the same time on July 16 shows a vertical cross section through the center of the storm from the PR looking northeast. It shows the deeper, more intense rain (dark red area) southeast of the center on the right and only weak, shallow rain (small mainly green area) northwest of the center on the left. TRMM data and images are routinely used by operational centers such as the NOAA Hurricane Prediction Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
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Tropical Storm Kompasu
| Title |
Tropical Storm Kompasu |
| Description |
Tropical Storm Kompasu hit the southern coastline of China near Hong Kong on Friday July 16, 2004 with winds of up to 45 mph. No significant damage was reported, but 12 people were injured by the storm. Kompasu formed into a tropical depression in the central Philippine Sea on the 10th of July. The system moved due west through the Luzon Strait south of Taiwan and emerged into the northern South China Sea. Kompasu strengthened only minimally becoming a weak tropical storm on the 14th as it passed through the strait. The storm then turned northwest before striking the south coast of China. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] or TRMM satellite has so far continued to fulfill its mission of monitoring rainfall over the global tropics since its launch in November of 1997. With its array of passive and active sensors, TRMM has also been providing a unique perspective on tropical cyclones. Such was the case with Kompasu. The first image, top, was taken at 22:21 UTC on July 14, 2004, after Kompasu had entered the northern South China Sea. Kompasu was then a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds estimated at 45 knots (52 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first and only precipitation radar in space, and those in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). This particular image reveals only a partially organized storm. Some banding is evident in the rain field (blue and green arcs), but the storm does not have an eye and nor is there any significant rainfall nears its center. This indicates that Kompasu is not likely to intensify very rapidly. The second image was taken at 05:35 UTC on the 16th just as Kompasu was about to hit the coast of China. The storm is still lacking an eye, and rain field is very asymmetrical with most of the rain located south or southeast of the center (blue, green and red areas). The heaviest rain (red) appears just south of the center. Maximum sustained winds at this time were only estimated to be about 40 knots (46 mph). Another image taken at the same time on July 16 shows a vertical cross section through the center of the storm from the PR looking northeast. It shows the deeper, more intense rain (dark red area) southeast of the center on the right and only weak, shallow rain (small mainly green area) northwest of the center on the left. TRMM data and images are routinely used by operational centers such as the NOAA Hurricane Prediction Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
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Tropical Storm Kompasu
| Title |
Tropical Storm Kompasu |
| Description |
Tropical Storm Kompasu hit the southern coastline of China near Hong Kong on Friday July 16, 2004 with winds of up to 45 mph. No significant damage was reported, but 12 people were injured by the storm. Kompasu formed into a tropical depression in the central Philippine Sea on the 10th of July. The system moved due west through the Luzon Strait south of Taiwan and emerged into the northern South China Sea. Kompasu strengthened only minimally becoming a weak tropical storm on the 14th as it passed through the strait. The storm then turned northwest before striking the south coast of China. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] or TRMM satellite has so far continued to fulfill its mission of monitoring rainfall over the global tropics since its launch in November of 1997. With its array of passive and active sensors, TRMM has also been providing a unique perspective on tropical cyclones. Such was the case with Kompasu. The first image, top, was taken at 22:21 UTC on July 14, 2004, after Kompasu had entered the northern South China Sea. Kompasu was then a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds estimated at 45 knots (52 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first and only precipitation radar in space, and those in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). This particular image reveals only a partially organized storm. Some banding is evident in the rain field (blue and green arcs), but the storm does not have an eye and nor is there any significant rainfall nears its center. This indicates that Kompasu is not likely to intensify very rapidly. The second image was taken at 05:35 UTC on the 16th just as Kompasu was about to hit the coast of China. The storm is still lacking an eye, and rain field is very asymmetrical with most of the rain located south or southeast of the center (blue, green and red areas). The heaviest rain (red) appears just south of the center. Maximum sustained winds at this time were only estimated to be about 40 knots (46 mph). Another image taken at the same time on July 16 shows a vertical cross section through the center of the storm from the PR looking northeast. It shows the deeper, more intense rain (dark red area) southeast of the center on the right and only weak, shallow rain (small mainly green area) northwest of the center on the left. TRMM data and images are routinely used by operational centers such as the NOAA Hurricane Prediction Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
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Typhoon Kaemi
| Title |
Typhoon Kaemi |
| Description |
) flew over the storm. At the time, Kaemi was over the central Philippine Sea. These images show the horizontal distribution of rain intensity within the storm and provide important clues about Kaemi's structure. In the top image, taken on July 21, TRMM reveals that Kaemi had a well-defined closed eye (center circular region) indicative of the kind of well-developed circulation that is commonly associated with a mature tropical cyclone. The image also shows that the rain field is very asymmetrical, with the bulk of the rain, including essentially all of the intense rain (shown by the darker reds), occurring in the southern half of storm. After the top image was taken on July 21, Kaemi continued to track northwest. Although the storm's center passed well to the north of the main island of Luzon in the northern Philippines, it did bring significant rains to the island. As Kaemi exited the Philippine Sea, it took a direct path over southern Taiwan, crossing over the island on the evening of July 24. By the time it struck, Kaemi had weakened to a Category 1 system. On July 25, Kaemi passed over the narrow Taiwan Straight between Taiwan and China before making landfall that afternoon (local time) near Jinjiang in Fujian Province on China's southeast coast. TRMM captured the lower image at 3:40 p.m. local time (7:40 UTC), just as Kaemi was making landfall on the coast of China. In this image, the center is poorly defined, with no closed eye visible. By this time, Kaemi had weakened to a tropical storm, with sustained winds estimated at just 93 km/hr (58 mph or 90 knots). There was, however, a broad area of light (blue) to moderate (green) rain wrapped around the northern and eastern side of the storm over mainland China. This rain eventually triggered flooding and mudslides in the region. Launched in November of 1997, TRMM was designed to measure rainfall over the global Tropics using a suite of active and passive sensors, including the world's first space-borne precipitation radar. TRMM has also proven to be extremely valuable for monitoring tropical cyclones, especially over remote parts of the open ocean. In these images, rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar, while those in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager. The rain rates are overlaid on infrared data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency, JAXA. NASA images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC)., Following a path similar to recent Tropical Storm Bilis, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13711 ] which triggered extensive inland flooding and landslides and has been blamed for more than 600 deaths in China, Typhoon Kaemi passed over Taiwan before striking the southeast coast of China. Kaemi means "ant" in Korean. The storm started out as a tropical depression on July 18, 2006, several hundred miles south-southeast of Guam, tracked generally to the northwest, and entered the Philippine Sea as a weak tropical storm on July 19. Over the next two days, Kaemi intensified into a Category 2 typhoon in the central Philippine Sea, with sustained winds estimated at 167 kilometers per hour (104 miles per hour or 90 knots) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. [ https://metoc.npmoc.navy.mil//jtwc.html ] While the typhoon was at Category 2 status on July 21, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite (TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] |
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Typhoon Kaemi
| Title |
Typhoon Kaemi |
| Description |
) flew over the storm. At the time, Kaemi was over the central Philippine Sea. These images show the horizontal distribution of rain intensity within the storm and provide important clues about Kaemi's structure. In the top image, taken on July 21, TRMM reveals that Kaemi had a well-defined closed eye (center circular region) indicative of the kind of well-developed circulation that is commonly associated with a mature tropical cyclone. The image also shows that the rain field is very asymmetrical, with the bulk of the rain, including essentially all of the intense rain (shown by the darker reds), occurring in the southern half of storm. After the top image was taken on July 21, Kaemi continued to track northwest. Although the storm's center passed well to the north of the main island of Luzon in the northern Philippines, it did bring significant rains to the island. As Kaemi exited the Philippine Sea, it took a direct path over southern Taiwan, crossing over the island on the evening of July 24. By the time it struck, Kaemi had weakened to a Category 1 system. On July 25, Kaemi passed over the narrow Taiwan Straight between Taiwan and China before making landfall that afternoon (local time) near Jinjiang in Fujian Province on China's southeast coast. TRMM captured the lower image at 3:40 p.m. local time (7:40 UTC), just as Kaemi was making landfall on the coast of China. In this image, the center is poorly defined, with no closed eye visible. By this time, Kaemi had weakened to a tropical storm, with sustained winds estimated at just 93 km/hr (58 mph or 90 knots). There was, however, a broad area of light (blue) to moderate (green) rain wrapped around the northern and eastern side of the storm over mainland China. This rain eventually triggered flooding and mudslides in the region. Launched in November of 1997, TRMM was designed to measure rainfall over the global Tropics using a suite of active and passive sensors, including the world's first space-borne precipitation radar. TRMM has also proven to be extremely valuable for monitoring tropical cyclones, especially over remote parts of the open ocean. In these images, rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar, while those in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager. The rain rates are overlaid on infrared data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency, JAXA. NASA images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC)., Following a path similar to recent Tropical Storm Bilis, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13711 ] which triggered extensive inland flooding and landslides and has been blamed for more than 600 deaths in China, Typhoon Kaemi passed over Taiwan before striking the southeast coast of China. Kaemi means "ant" in Korean. The storm started out as a tropical depression on July 18, 2006, several hundred miles south-southeast of Guam, tracked generally to the northwest, and entered the Philippine Sea as a weak tropical storm on July 19. Over the next two days, Kaemi intensified into a Category 2 typhoon in the central Philippine Sea, with sustained winds estimated at 167 kilometers per hour (104 miles per hour or 90 knots) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. [ https://metoc.npmoc.navy.mil//jtwc.html ] While the typhoon was at Category 2 status on July 21, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite (TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] |
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Typhoon Longwang
| Title |
Typhoon Longwang |
| Description |
Typhoon Longwang, which means "dragon king" in Mandarin, became the third super typhoon this year to hit Taiwan and continue on to make landfall in China. The other two super typhoons of 2005 were Haitang and Talim. After traversing the Philippine Sea, Longwang plowed over Taiwan on October 2, 2005, where winds were recorded up to 230 kilometers per hour (143 mph). The storm left one person missing and one dead in Taiwan. Longwang then continued moving across the Taiwan straight and struck Fujian Province in southeast China. Three people were reported killed, and 59 police cadets were missing after flood waters swept away their buildings. This image of Longwang was captured by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite on October 1, 2005, at 20:27 UTC, just as the center of the storm was making landfall on the eastern coast of Taiwan. The western half of the eyewall is already over the coast while the center sits just offshore. A sizeable area of very intense rain (dark red area) is present in the eastern half of the eyewall. At the time, Longwang was still a Category 4 typhoon with sustained winds of 115 knots (132 mph). After crossing Taiwan, the storm would later weaken to a Category 1 typhoon before hitting mainland China. The TRMM satellite has been measuring rainfall over the tropics since its launch in 1997. The TRMM-based, near-real time MPA at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center provides estimates of rainfall over the global tropics. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and captioned by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
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Typhoon Mindulle
| Title |
Typhoon Mindulle |
| Description |
As the northern Philippines island of Luzon recovers from its brush with Typhoon Mindulle, the island nation of Taiwan now bears the brunt of the storm. Mindulle was responsible for 16 fatalities and 17 missing persons in the Philippines mainly from flash floods and is now hitting the east coast of Taiwan with 75 mph winds. Mindulle formed into a tropical depression from a monsoon gyre back on the 23rd of June 2004 just west of the Northern Mariana Islands. Mindulle quickly reached tropical storm strength but only slowly intensified over the next few days before finally becoming a minimal typhoon on the 27th in the Philippine Sea. Next came a period of rapid development as Mindulle's maximum sustained winds increased from 65 knots (75 mph) to 125 knots (144 mph) within a span of just 30 hours, and it's forward speed decreased dramatically as it approached the northern Philippines. Up until this point, Mindulle had been moving mainly due west but now turned north taking it through the Babuyan and Batan islands north of the main island of Luzon. The storm increased its forward speed slowly and began to weaken as it passed through the Bashi Channel headed for Taiwan. Mindulle passed by the Hengchun Peninsula at the southern tip of Taiwan on the evening (local time) of the 30th of June before continuing up along the east coast of Taiwan. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has been fulfilling its mission of monitoring rainfall over the global tropics since its launch back in November of 1997. With its passive and active sensors, TRMM is able to capture unique images of tropical cyclones providing a one of a kind perspective on their structures as seen by this series of images of Mindulle. The first image was taken at 15:39 UTC on 23 June 2004 when Mindulle was still just a tropical storm west of the Northern Mariana Islands with maximum sustained winds estimated at 35 knots (40 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first and only precipitation radar in space, and those in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). This image shows that Mindulle is not very organized yet with no evidence of an eye in the rain field. However, some banding is visible in the moderate rain rates (green areas) and a sizeable area of intense rain is present (dark red areas). The second image was taken at 06:01 UTC on the 28th and shows a mature typhoon with a large, well- defined eye surrounded by a definitive eyewall that contains areas of heavy rain (semicircle with dark red areas). At this time Mindulle was a Category 4 storm with sustained winds estimated at 115 knots (132 mph) as it was approaching the the the northern Philippines. The next image at this same time shows a vertical cross section, through the center of the storm from the PR looking northeast. It shows the intense rain (black area) in the western eyewall and a broad rain shield of moderate intensity rain (yellow areas) west of the center. Also evident is a bright band (horizontal yellow areas) wherein ice particle begin to melt as they fall through the freezing level. The final image was taken at 4:51 UTC on 1 July 2004. It shows a greatly weakened Mindulle hugging the east coast of Taiwan. The eyewall is gone and the center is surrounded by a large swirl of mostly light rain (blue areas). The heaviest rain rates are part of a large rain band that extends southwest of the center into the northern South China Sea. At this time, the maximum estimated winds were down to 75 knots (86 mph). TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC), NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission. |
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Typhoon Mindulle
| Title |
Typhoon Mindulle |
| Description |
As the northern Philippines island of Luzon recovers from its brush with Typhoon Mindulle, the island nation of Taiwan now bears the brunt of the storm. Mindulle was responsible for 16 fatalities and 17 missing persons in the Philippines mainly from flash floods and is now hitting the east coast of Taiwan with 75 mph winds. Mindulle formed into a tropical depression from a monsoon gyre back on the 23rd of June 2004 just west of the Northern Mariana Islands. Mindulle quickly reached tropical storm strength but only slowly intensified over the next few days before finally becoming a minimal typhoon on the 27th in the Philippine Sea. Next came a period of rapid development as Mindulle's maximum sustained winds increased from 65 knots (75 mph) to 125 knots (144 mph) within a span of just 30 hours, and it's forward speed decreased dramatically as it approached the northern Philippines. Up until this point, Mindulle had been moving mainly due west but now turned north taking it through the Babuyan and Batan islands north of the main island of Luzon. The storm increased its forward speed slowly and began to weaken as it passed through the Bashi Channel headed for Taiwan. Mindulle passed by the Hengchun Peninsula at the southern tip of Taiwan on the evening (local time) of the 30th of June before continuing up along the east coast of Taiwan. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has been fulfilling its mission of monitoring rainfall over the global tropics since its launch back in November of 1997. With its passive and active sensors, TRMM is able to capture unique images of tropical cyclones providing a one of a kind perspective on their structures as seen by this series of images of Mindulle. The first image was taken at 15:39 UTC on 23 June 2004 when Mindulle was still just a tropical storm west of the Northern Mariana Islands with maximum sustained winds estimated at 35 knots (40 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first and only precipitation radar in space, and those in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). This image shows that Mindulle is not very organized yet with no evidence of an eye in the rain field. However, some banding is visible in the moderate rain rates (green areas) and a sizeable area of intense rain is present (dark red areas). The second image was taken at 06:01 UTC on the 28th and shows a mature typhoon with a large, well- defined eye surrounded by a definitive eyewall that contains areas of heavy rain (semicircle with dark red areas). At this time Mindulle was a Category 4 storm with sustained winds estimated at 115 knots (132 mph) as it was approaching the the the northern Philippines. The next image at this same time shows a vertical cross section, through the center of the storm from the PR looking northeast. It shows the intense rain (black area) in the western eyewall and a broad rain shield of moderate intensity rain (yellow areas) west of the center. Also evident is a bright band (horizontal yellow areas) wherein ice particle begin to melt as they fall through the freezing level. The final image was taken at 4:51 UTC on 1 July 2004. It shows a greatly weakened Mindulle hugging the east coast of Taiwan. The eyewall is gone and the center is surrounded by a large swirl of mostly light rain (blue areas). The heaviest rain rates are part of a large rain band that extends southwest of the center into the northern South China Sea. At this time, the maximum estimated winds were down to 75 knots (86 mph). TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC), NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission. |
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Typhoon Mindulle
| Title |
Typhoon Mindulle |
| Description |
As the northern Philippines island of Luzon recovers from its brush with Typhoon Mindulle, the island nation of Taiwan now bears the brunt of the storm. Mindulle was responsible for 16 fatalities and 17 missing persons in the Philippines mainly from flash floods and is now hitting the east coast of Taiwan with 75 mph winds. Mindulle formed into a tropical depression from a monsoon gyre back on the 23rd of June 2004 just west of the Northern Mariana Islands. Mindulle quickly reached tropical storm strength but only slowly intensified over the next few days before finally becoming a minimal typhoon on the 27th in the Philippine Sea. Next came a period of rapid development as Mindulle's maximum sustained winds increased from 65 knots (75 mph) to 125 knots (144 mph) within a span of just 30 hours, and it's forward speed decreased dramatically as it approached the northern Philippines. Up until this point, Mindulle had been moving mainly due west but now turned north taking it through the Babuyan and Batan islands north of the main island of Luzon. The storm increased its forward speed slowly and began to weaken as it passed through the Bashi Channel headed for Taiwan. Mindulle passed by the Hengchun Peninsula at the southern tip of Taiwan on the evening (local time) of the 30th of June before continuing up along the east coast of Taiwan. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has been fulfilling its mission of monitoring rainfall over the global tropics since its launch back in November of 1997. With its passive and active sensors, TRMM is able to capture unique images of tropical cyclones providing a one of a kind perspective on their structures as seen by this series of images of Mindulle. The first image was taken at 15:39 UTC on 23 June 2004 when Mindulle was still just a tropical storm west of the Northern Mariana Islands with maximum sustained winds estimated at 35 knots (40 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first and only precipitation radar in space, and those in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). This image shows that Mindulle is not very organized yet with no evidence of an eye in the rain field. However, some banding is visible in the moderate rain rates (green areas) and a sizeable area of intense rain is present (dark red areas). The second image was taken at 06:01 UTC on the 28th and shows a mature typhoon with a large, well- defined eye surrounded by a definitive eyewall that contains areas of heavy rain (semicircle with dark red areas). At this time Mindulle was a Category 4 storm with sustained winds estimated at 115 knots (132 mph) as it was approaching the the the northern Philippines. The next image at this same time shows a vertical cross section, through the center of the storm from the PR looking northeast. It shows the intense rain (black area) in the western eyewall and a broad rain shield of moderate intensity rain (yellow areas) west of the center. Also evident is a bright band (horizontal yellow areas) wherein ice particle begin to melt as they fall through the freezing level. The final image was taken at 4:51 UTC on 1 July 2004. It shows a greatly weakened Mindulle hugging the east coast of Taiwan. The eyewall is gone and the center is surrounded by a large swirl of mostly light rain (blue areas). The heaviest rain rates are part of a large rain band that extends southwest of the center into the northern South China Sea. At this time, the maximum estimated winds were down to 75 knots (86 mph). TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC), NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission. |
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Typhoon Mindulle
| Title |
Typhoon Mindulle |
| Description |
As the northern Philippines island of Luzon recovers from its brush with Typhoon Mindulle, the island nation of Taiwan now bears the brunt of the storm. Mindulle was responsible for 16 fatalities and 17 missing persons in the Philippines mainly from flash floods and is now hitting the east coast of Taiwan with 75 mph winds. Mindulle formed into a tropical depression from a monsoon gyre back on the 23rd of June 2004 just west of the Northern Mariana Islands. Mindulle quickly reached tropical storm strength but only slowly intensified over the next few days before finally becoming a minimal typhoon on the 27th in the Philippine Sea. Next came a period of rapid development as Mindulle's maximum sustained winds increased from 65 knots (75 mph) to 125 knots (144 mph) within a span of just 30 hours, and it's forward speed decreased dramatically as it approached the northern Philippines. Up until this point, Mindulle had been moving mainly due west but now turned north taking it through the Babuyan and Batan islands north of the main island of Luzon. The storm increased its forward speed slowly and began to weaken as it passed through the Bashi Channel headed for Taiwan. Mindulle passed by the Hengchun Peninsula at the southern tip of Taiwan on the evening (local time) of the 30th of June before continuing up along the east coast of Taiwan. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has been fulfilling its mission of monitoring rainfall over the global tropics since its launch back in November of 1997. With its passive and active sensors, TRMM is able to capture unique images of tropical cyclones providing a one of a kind perspective on their structures as seen by this series of images of Mindulle. The first image was taken at 15:39 UTC on 23 June 2004 when Mindulle was still just a tropical storm west of the Northern Mariana Islands with maximum sustained winds estimated at 35 knots (40 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first and only precipitation radar in space, and those in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). This image shows that Mindulle is not very organized yet with no evidence of an eye in the rain field. However, some banding is visible in the moderate rain rates (green areas) and a sizeable area of intense rain is present (dark red areas). The second image was taken at 06:01 UTC on the 28th and shows a mature typhoon with a large, well- defined eye surrounded by a definitive eyewall that contains areas of heavy rain (semicircle with dark red areas). At this time Mindulle was a Category 4 storm with sustained winds estimated at 115 knots (132 mph) as it was approaching the the the northern Philippines. The next image at this same time shows a vertical cross section, through the center of the storm from the PR looking northeast. It shows the intense rain (black area) in the western eyewall and a broad rain shield of moderate intensity rain (yellow areas) west of the center. Also evident is a bright band (horizontal yellow areas) wherein ice particle begin to melt as they fall through the freezing level. The final image was taken at 4:51 UTC on 1 July 2004. It shows a greatly weakened Mindulle hugging the east coast of Taiwan. The eyewall is gone and the center is surrounded by a large swirl of mostly light rain (blue areas). The heaviest rain rates are part of a large rain band that extends southwest of the center into the northern South China Sea. At this time, the maximum estimated winds were down to 75 knots (86 mph). TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC), NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission. |
|
Typhoon Mindulle
| Title |
Typhoon Mindulle |
| Description |
As the northern Philippines island of Luzon recovers from its brush with Typhoon Mindulle, the island nation of Taiwan now bears the brunt of the storm. Mindulle was responsible for 16 fatalities and 17 missing persons in the Philippines mainly from flash floods and is now hitting the east coast of Taiwan with 75 mph winds. Mindulle formed into a tropical depression from a monsoon gyre back on the 23rd of June 2004 just west of the Northern Mariana Islands. Mindulle quickly reached tropical storm strength but only slowly intensified over the next few days before finally becoming a minimal typhoon on the 27th in the Philippine Sea. Next came a period of rapid development as Mindulle's maximum sustained winds increased from 65 knots (75 mph) to 125 knots (144 mph) within a span of just 30 hours, and it's forward speed decreased dramatically as it approached the northern Philippines. Up until this point, Mindulle had been moving mainly due west but now turned north taking it through the Babuyan and Batan islands north of the main island of Luzon. The storm increased its forward speed slowly and began to weaken as it passed through the Bashi Channel headed for Taiwan. Mindulle passed by the Hengchun Peninsula at the southern tip of Taiwan on the evening (local time) of the 30th of June before continuing up along the east coast of Taiwan. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has been fulfilling its mission of monitoring rainfall over the global tropics since its launch back in November of 1997. With its passive and active sensors, TRMM is able to capture unique images of tropical cyclones providing a one of a kind perspective on their structures as seen by this series of images of Mindulle. The first image was taken at 15:39 UTC on 23 June 2004 when Mindulle was still just a tropical storm west of the Northern Mariana Islands with maximum sustained winds estimated at 35 knots (40 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first and only precipitation radar in space, and those in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). This image shows that Mindulle is not very organized yet with no evidence of an eye in the rain field. However, some banding is visible in the moderate rain rates (green areas) and a sizeable area of intense rain is present (dark red areas). The second image was taken at 06:01 UTC on the 28th and shows a mature typhoon with a large, well- defined eye surrounded by a definitive eyewall that contains areas of heavy rain (semicircle with dark red areas). At this time Mindulle was a Category 4 storm with sustained winds estimated at 115 knots (132 mph) as it was approaching the the the northern Philippines. The next image at this same time shows a vertical cross section, through the center of the storm from the PR looking northeast. It shows the intense rain (black area) in the western eyewall and a broad rain shield of moderate intensity rain (yellow areas) west of the center. Also evident is a bright band (horizontal yellow areas) wherein ice particle begin to melt as they fall through the freezing level. The final image was taken at 4:51 UTC on 1 July 2004. It shows a greatly weakened Mindulle hugging the east coast of Taiwan. The eyewall is gone and the center is surrounded by a large swirl of mostly light rain (blue areas). The heaviest rain rates are part of a large rain band that extends southwest of the center into the northern South China Sea. At this time, the maximum estimated winds were down to 75 knots (86 mph). TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC), NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission. |
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