Aug. 02, 2019 – NASA Satellite Finds Tropical Storm Wipha Blankets the Gulf of Tonkin
Visible satellite imagery from NASA’s Aqua satellite showed the clouds from Tropical Storm Wipha blanketing the Gulf of Tonkin.
On Aug. 2, 2019, the MODIS instrument aboard Aqua captured a visible image of Tropical Storm Wipha in the Gulf of Tonkin, South China Sea, headed for landfall in northern Vietnam. Credit: NASA Worldview, Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS)
The Gulf of Tonkin is a body of water located in the northern part of the South China Sea. It is located off the coast of northern Vietnam and southern China.
On Aug. 2, 2019, a Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for coastal areas in northeastern Vietnam. The Vietnam National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHF) expects Wipha to track along the southern China coast and move into Vietnam tracking to the southwest. NCHF expects Wipha’s center to pass just south of Hanoi.
At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) on Aug. 2, Wipha had maximum sustained winds near 35 knots (40 mph/64 kph). It was centered near 21.6 degrees north latitude and 108.5 degrees east longitude, about 150 nautical miles east-northeast of Hanoi, Vietnam. Wipha was moving to the west.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard Aqua captured a visible image of Wipha on August 2. The MODIS image showed that clouds associated with Wipha filled up the Gulf of Tonkin. Satellite data showed that bands of thunderstorms were wrapping into a defined low-level circulation center.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center said that Wipha is expected to make landfall by 11 p.m. EDT on Aug. 2 (0300 UTC on Aug. 3) in northern Vietnam. Then it will weaken as it moves to the west-southwest and over north Vietnam, where it will dissipate.
Aug. 02, 2019 – NASA Sees Tropical Storm Flossie Headed to Central Pacific Ocean
Tropical Storm Flossie continues tracking in a westward direction through the Eastern Pacific Ocean and is expected to move into the Central Pacific Ocean later today, August 2.
On August 2 at 6:10 a.m. EDT (1010 UTC) the MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite showed strongest storms in Tropical Storm Flossie around the center and in fragmented bands of thunderstorms circling the center, where cloud top temperatures were as cold as minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 62.2 Celsius). Credit: NASA/NRL
NASA’s Aqua satellite used infrared light to provide temperature information of clouds and sea surface. The strongest thunderstorms that reach high into the atmosphere have the coldest cloud top temperatures. Cloud top temperatures that cold indicate strong storms with the potential to generate heavy rainfall.
On August 2 at 6:10 a.m. EDT (1010 UTC), the Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite found those strongest storms around the center and in fragmented bands of thunderstorms circling the center, where cloud top temperatures as cold as minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 62.2 Celsius).
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said, “Tropical Storm Flossie is a little more symmetric than it was last night. The center of the tropical storm appears to be more embedded within its central dense overcast.”
At 11 a.m. EDT (5 a.m. HST/1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Flossie was located near latitude 17.1 degrees north and longitude 137.8 degrees west. That’s about 1,145 miles (1.845 km) east of Hilo, Hawaii. Flossie is moving toward the west-northwest near 17 mph (28 kph), and this general heading with a slight decrease in forward speed is expected through early next week. Maximum sustained winds are near 70 mph (110 kph) with higher gusts. The estimated minimum central pressure is 993 millibars.
On the forecast track, Flossie is forecast to cross into the central Pacific basin later today.
Gradual weakening is anticipated over the weekend and will likely continue through early next week.
Aug. 02, 2019 – NOAA Finds Tropical Storm Erick’s Center With Help of Two NASA Satellites
Infrared imagery from NASA’s Aqua satellite revealed Tropical Storm Erick is being battered by wind shear, and that its strongest storms were south of the Big Island of Hawaii. NOAA forecasters used other NASA satellites to find Erick’s center.
On August 2 at 7:50 a.m. EDT (1150 UTC) the MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite showed strongest storms in Tropical Storm Erick were south of the Big Island of Hawaii, and west of the center, where cloud top temperatures were as cold as minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 62.2 Celsius). Credit: NASA/NRL
In the National Hurricane Center (NHC) Discussion of Erick on August 2 at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC), Forecaster Jelsema noted that the NHC utilized data from two NASA satellites to find Erick’s center. The Discussion noted “Although the center was difficult to locate overnight due to high level cloud cover moving over the low-level center of circulation, a timely GPM (Global Precipitation Measurement mission) pass at 7:36 a.m. EDT (1136Z) and a Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) pass at 7:40 a.m. EDT (1140Z) assisted in locating the center.” VIIRS is an instrument aboard NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite.
In addition, NASA’s Aqua satellite used infrared light to analyze the strength of storms and found the bulk of them in the southwestern quadrant of Erick, and south of the Big Island of Hawaii. Infrared data provides temperature information, and the strongest thunderstorms that reach high into the atmosphere have the coldest cloud top temperatures. Cloud top temperatures that cold indicate strong storms with the potential to generate heavy rainfall. Those strongest storms were south and southeast of the center of the elongated circulation.
On August 2 at 7:50 a.m. EDT (1150 UTC), the Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite found those strongest storms had cloud top temperatures as cold as minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 62.2 Celsius).
NHC noted that “Deep convection has managed to develop over the low level circulation center (LLCC) of Erick this morning, after the center was exposed for much of the night. Strong west-southwesterly vertical wind shear continues to affect the tropical cyclone.”
At 11 a.m. EDT (5 a.m. HST/1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Erick was located near latitude 16.8 degrees north latitude and 157.4 degrees west longitude. That’s about 250 miles (405 km) southwest of Hilo, Hawaii. Erick is moving toward the west-northwest near 14 mph (22 kph) and this general motion is expected to continue through tonight. A turn toward the northwest and a decrease in forward speed is expected over the weekend. On the forecast track, the center of Erick will pass by well to the south of the main Hawaiian Islands today and tonight. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1,000 millibars.
Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph (85 kph) with higher gusts. Some gradual weakening is forecast during the next couple days. Erick is expected to become a tropical depression by Sunday, and a post-tropical remnant low Sunday night.
Swells generated by Erick will continue to affect the Hawaiian Islands today, producing dangerous surf conditions, mainly along east and southeast facing shores. In addition, rain associated with Erick will continue to spread over portions of the Hawaiian Islands through early Saturday (Aug. 3), bringing the potential for localized heavy rainfall. Total rainfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches are possible, with localized higher amounts.
Erick is forecast to weaken into a tropical depression by Sunday, and become a post-tropical remnant low Sunday night. Dissipation into a trough (elongated area of low pressure) is now forecast to occur by Monday night.
Aug. 01, 2019 – NASA’s Aqua Satellite Sees Tropical Storm Wipha Hugging China Coast
NASA’s Aqua satellite passed over the South China Sea and saw Tropical Storm Wipha hugging the southern coast of China.
On Aug. 1, 2019, the MODIS instrument aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite provided a visible image of Tropical Storm Wipha in the South China Sea. The center of circulation was just off the coast of southern China. Credit: NASA/NRL
On August 1, 2019 at 1:35 a.m. EDT (0535 UTC), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite provided a visible image of Wipha that showed the center of circulation just off the coast of southern China. The center was just east of the southern tip of the Leizhou Peninsula of southern Guangdong province, and northeast of Hainan Island, China. MODIS imagery shows that despite the center in that area, the bands of thunderstorms that circle the center extend over Hainan Island and into the southern Guangdong Province as well as over the South China Sea.
At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC), the center of Wipha was located near latitude 21.3 degrees north and longitude 110.2 degrees west. Wipha was about 241 nautical miles east of Hanoi, Vietnam. Wipha was moving to the northwest and had maximum sustained winds near 35 knots (40 mph/64 kph).
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center expects Wipha to skirt the southern coast of China and move through the Gulf of Tonkin, with landfall along the northeast coast of Vietnam early on August 3. It is expected to dissipate soon after landfall.
Aug. 01, 2019 – NASA-NOAA Satellite Sees Erick Still Hanging as a Hurricane
Hurricane Erick continued hold onto its status as it moved west through the Central Pacific. NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite passed overhead and found two small areas of very strong thunderstorms, showing Erick still had some punch left in it.
NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite passed over Hurricane Erick in the Central Pacific Ocean and the VIIRS instrument aboard captured this image of the storm on July 31 at 7:30 p.m. EDT (1:30 p.m. HST/2330 UTC). There were two small areas (yellow) within where cloud top temperatures were as cold as minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 62.2 Celsius). Credit: NASA/NRL
Fortunately, Erick is a small hurricane and the National Hurricane Center expects those winds to be 200 miles from Hawaii as it passes the islands.
The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard Suomi NPP provided an infrared image of the storm. Infrared imagery reveals cloud top temperatures, and the higher the cloud top, the colder it is, and the stronger the storm. On July 31 at 7:30 p.m. EDT (2330 UTC). There were two small areas within where cloud top temperatures were as cold as minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 62.2 Celsius). Storms with cloud tops that cold have been found to generate heavy rainfall.
At 11 a.m. EDT (5 a.m. HST/1500 UTC), the center of Hurricane Erick was located near latitude 15.9 degrees north and longitude 152.4 degrees west. That’s 315 miles (510 km) southeast of Hilo, Hawaii.
Erick is moving toward the west-northwest near 15 mph (24 kph), and this general motion is expected to continue over the next couple of days. Maximum sustained winds are near 85 mph (140 km/h) with higher gusts. Significant weakening is forecast during the next couple of days, and Erick is expected to weaken to a tropical storm later today. The estimated minimum central pressure is 981 millibars.
Erick’s hurricane-strength winds are in a small area. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles (35 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles (165 km). The National Hurricane Center said that on the forecast track, the center of Erick will pass within about 200 miles south of the Big Island of Hawaii later today and tonight, August 1.
Aug. 01, 2019 – Satellite Shows Tropical Storm Flossie Holding Up
Satellite imagery showed that Tropical Storm Flossie’s structure didn’t change much overnight from July 31 to August 1. NOAA’s GOES-West satellite provided a view of the storm early on Aug. 1.
NOAA’s GOES-West satellite captured a visible image of Tropical Storm Flossie on August 1 at 11:30 a.m. EDT (1530 UTC) in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Credit: NOAA/NRL
At 11 a.m. EDT (5 a.m. HST/1500 UTC), on August 1, NOAA’s National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the center of Tropical Storm Flossie was located near latitude 15.1 degrees north and longitude 131.6 degrees west. That’s about 1,580 miles (2,540 km) east of Hilo, Hawaii. Flossie is moving toward the west-northwest near 16 mph (26 kph), and this general motion is expected to continue through early Sunday. Maximum sustained winds are near 65 mph (100 kph) with higher gusts. Little change in strength is anticipated for the next couple of days. The estimated minimum central pressure is 996 millibars.
NOAA’s GOES-West satellite captured a visible image of Tropical Storm Flossie on August 1 at 11:30 a.m. EDT (1530 UTC) and the storm’s structure had not really changed overnight. However, recent SSMI microwave data indicate that the center of the tropical storm is displaced to the northwest of all of its strongest storms.
NOAA manages the GOES series of satellites and the NASA builds and launches the satellites for NOAA. The NASA/NOAA GOES Project is located at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
NHC said, on the forecast track, Flossie should cross into the central Pacific basin late Friday or early Saturday. Flossie is forecast to begin slowly weakening on Saturday.
