Nov. 26, 2019 – Satellite Tracking Guam’s Tropical Storm Kammuri
The National Weather Service in Guam has posted warnings as Tropical Storm Kammuri lingers nearby. The NOAA-20 satellite provided forecasters with an image of the storm.
Tropical Depression 29W formed on Nov. 25, and when it strengthened into a tropical storm on Nov. 26 it was renamed Kammuri.
Visible imagery from NASA satellites help forecasters understand if a storm is organizing or weakening. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard NOAA-20 provided a visible image of Kammuri on Nov. 26 at 0354 UTC (Nov. 25 at 10:54 p.m. EST) that shows it is consolidating and strengthening. The image showed bands of thunderstorms wrapping into its low level center.
On Nov. 26 (and Nov. 27 local time), a tropical storm warning remains in effect for Guam, Rota, Tinian and Saipan. Tropical storm conditions, including winds of 39 mph or more, are occurring and will persist through noon (local time on Nov. 27) today.
On Nov. 26 at 10 a.m. EST (1500 UTC/1 a.m. CHST on Nov. 27) The National Weather Service in Tiyan, Guam noted that the “center of Tropical Storm Kammuri was located near latitude 11.4 degrees north and longitude 144.4 degrees east. Kammuri is moving west at 24 mph. Kammuri will maintain this motion through tonight [Wed. Nov. 27 local time], then turn toward the northwest on Thursday. Kammuri will decrease in forward speed tonight. Maximum sustained winds have increased to 45 mph. Kammuri is forecast to intensify in the next few days and could become a typhoon on Thursday. Kammuri will be well west of the Marianas.” The storm is at its closest to Guam now.
Kammuri is forecast to move west-northwest, later northwest and strengthen into a typhoon.
NASA launched JPSS-1 in Nov. 2017. JPSS-1 reached polar orbit on Saturday, November 18, and it officially became known as NOAA-20. JPSS-1 joined the NOAA/NASA Suomi NPP satellite in the same polar orbit, and will also provide scientists with observations of atmospheric temperature and moisture, clouds, sea-surface temperature, ocean color, sea ice cover, volcanic ash, and fire detection.
Typhoons and hurricanes are the most powerful weather event on Earth. NASA’s expertise in space and scientific exploration contributes to essential services provided to the American people by other federal agencies, such as hurricane weather forecasting.
For updated forecasts. visit: https://www.weather.gov/gum/Cyclones