Dec. 04, 2019 – Suomi NPP Satellite Finds Kammuri Weakening in South China Sea
NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite passed over the South China Sea and provided forecasters with a visible image of Tropical Storm Kammuri on Dec. 4.
NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite provided two visible images of Kammuri on Dec. 4 that were combined at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. to show the entire storm. The combined VIIRS image showed that Kammuri’s center of circulation was almost in the center of the South China Sea, while a tail of clouds streamed over Luzon, the northern Philippines and north to Taiwan. Credit: NASA Worldview, Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS)
The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard Suomi NPP provided two visible images of Kammuri on Dec. 4 that were combined at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. to show the entire storm. NASA Worldview, Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) provided the image. The combined VIIRS image showed that Kammuri’s center of circulation was almost in the center of the South China Sea, while a tail of clouds streamed over Luzon, the northern Philippines and north to Taiwan.
Visible imagery from NASA satellites helps forecasters understand if a storm is organizing or weakening by the storm’s shape. NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite showed that the storm appears to be elongating, indicating it is weakening.
On Dec. 4 at 10 a.m. EST (1500 UTC), Kammuri’s maximum sustained winds were near 40 knots (46 mph/74 kph) and weakening. Tropical Storm Kammuri (Philippines designation Tisoy) was centered near latitude 14.4 degrees north and longitude 115.7 degrees east. That is about 285 nautical miles west of Manila, Philippines. Kammuri has moved far enough away from the Philippines that all warnings have been dropped.
Kammuri is weakening as it moves west through the South China Sea. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecasts Kammuri to turn south-southwest and dissipate by December 6.
Tropical cyclones and hurricanes are the most powerful weather events 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.
Dec. 04, 2019 – NASA Sees Tropical Storm 06A Maintaining Strength
NASA’s Aqua satellite found some powerful storms in Tropical Storm 06A as it moved through the Arabian Sea toward Somalia.
On Dec. 4 at 4:55 a.m. EST (0955 UTC), the MODIS instrument aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite gathered temperature information about Tropical Storm 06A’s cloud tops. MODIS found several small areas of powerful thunderstorms (yellow) where temperatures were as cold as or colder than minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 62.2 degrees Celsius), embedded in a much larger area of slightly warmer cloud tops (red) of minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 56.6 Celsius). Credit: NASA/NRL
NASA’s Aqua satellite used infrared light to analyze the strength of storms in 06A and found it was maintaining strength. Infrared data provides temperature information, and the strongest thunderstorms that reach high into the atmosphere have the coldest cloud top temperatures.
On Dec. 4 at 4:55 a.m. EST (0955 UTC), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite gathered temperature information about Tropical Storm 06A’s cloud tops. MODIS found several small areas of powerful thunderstorms where temperatures were as cold as or colder than minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 62.2 degrees Celsius), embedded in a much larger area of slightly warmer cloud tops of minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 56.6 Celsius). Cloud top temperatures that cold indicate strong storms with the potential to generate heavy rainfall.
On Dec. 4 at 10 a.m., EST (1500 UTC), Tropical Storm 06A was located near latitude 8.4 degrees north and longitude 57.0 degrees east in the Arabian Sea, Northern Indian Ocean. That is about 864 nautical miles east-southeast of Djibouti. Djibouti is a sovereign state in the Horn of Africa with a coastline on the Gulf of Aden. It is bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the west, and Etriea to the north. 06A was moving to the northwest and had maximum sustained winds near 35 knots (40 mph/65 kph).
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center or JTWC noted, “The storm’s good outflow (air that flows outwards from a storm system) and warm sea surface temperatures are being offset by strong (20-25 knots/23-29 mph/37-46 kph) vertical wind shear to make the environment marginally supportive. Tropical Storm 06A appeared to accelerate west-northwestward over the past six hours, suggesting a subtropical ridge (an elongated area of high pressure) to the north has become the primary steering mechanism.” Over the next 24 hours, the subtropical ridge will cause 06A to turn onto a west southwestward track and remain there until making landfall and dissipating.
Tropical Storm 06A is expected to make landfall in east central Somalia late on Dec. 6.
Tropical cyclones and hurricanes are the most powerful weather events 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.
NASA’s Aqua satellite found that wind shear was tearing at Tropical Storm 07A in the Arabian Sea.
On Dec. 4 at 3:20 a.m. EST (0820 UTC), the MODIS instrument aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite gathered temperature information about Tropical Storm 07A’s cloud tops. MODIS found three small areas of powerful thunderstorms (red) where temperatures were as cold as or colder than minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 56.6 Celsius). MODIS also showed westerly wind shear was pushing the bulk of clouds east of the storm’s center. Credit: NASA/NRL
NASA’s Aqua satellite used infrared light to analyze the strength of storms in 07A. Infrared data provides temperature information, and the strongest thunderstorms that reach high into the atmosphere have the coldest cloud top temperatures. On Dec. 4 at 3:20 a.m. EST (0820 UTC), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite gathered temperature information about Tropical Storm 07A’s cloud tops. MODIS found three small areas of powerful thunderstorms where temperatures were as cold as or colder than minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 56.6 Celsius). Cloud top temperatures that cold indicate strong storms with the potential to generate heavy rainfall.
Cloud tops surrounding those small areas were warmer, indicating those storms were weaker. The bulk of thunderstorms in 07A were warmer than minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit and they were being pushed to the east from westerly wind shear.
In general, wind shear is a measure of how the speed and direction of winds change with altitude. Tropical cyclones are like rotating cylinders of winds. Each level needs to be stacked on top each other vertically in order for the storm to maintain strength or intensify. Wind shear occurs when winds at different levels of the atmosphere push against the rotating cylinder of winds, weakening the rotation by pushing it apart at different levels. Winds from the west were displacing the bulk of clouds and showers from 07A and pushing them to the east.
On Dec. 4 at 4 a.m., EST (0900 UTC), Tropical Storm 07A was located near latitude 14.9 degrees north and longitude 68.7 degrees east in the Arabian Sea, Northern Indian Ocean. That is about 616 nautical miles south of Karachi, Pakistan. 07A was moving to the northwest and had maximum sustained winds near 45 knots.
Tropical Storm 07A is expected to weaken to a depression by Dec. 5 and then dissipate.
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.
Dec. 03, 2019 – NASA Finds Second Tropical System Develops in Arabian Sea
Tropical Storm 07A has developed in the eastern Arabian Sea, one day after Tropical Storm 06A developed in the western part of the sea. Infrared imagery from an instrument aboard Terra revealed that very high, powerful storms with very cold cloud top temperatures were southwest of the center.
On Dec. 3 at 12 pm. EST (1700 UTC) the MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA’s Terra satellite showed the southeastern quadrant of newly formed Tropical Storm 07A where cloud top temperatures (in yellow) were as cold as or colder than minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 62.2 Celsius). Credit: NASA/NRL
Tropical Storm 07A developed on Dec. 2 from a low-pressure area designated as System 91A. The storm consolidated into a tropical storm today and was renamed 07A.
Tropical cyclones are made of up hundreds of thunderstorms, and infrared data can show where the strongest storms are located. They can do with infrared data that provides temperature information. The strongest thunderstorms that reach highest into the atmosphere have the coldest cloud top temperatures.
On Dec. 3 at 12 pm. EST (1700 UTC) the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA’s Terra satellite showed the southeastern quadrant of newly formed Tropical Storm 07A where cloud top temperatures (in yellow) were as cold as or colder than minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 62.2 Celsius). NASA research has found that cloud top temperatures that cold indicate strong storms with the potential to generate heavy rainfall.
On Dec. 3 at 10 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC), Tropical Storm 07A had maximum sustained winds near 35 knots (40 mph /65 kph). It was located near latitude 13.4 degrees north and longitude 70.2 degrees east, about 367 nautical miles south-southwest of Mumbai, India.
Forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center expect 07A will move northwest. The system is not expected to intensify and is expected to dissipate in a day or so.
Tropical cyclones are the most powerful weather event on Earth. NASA researches these storms to determine how they rapidly intensify, develop and behave. 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.
Dec. 03, 2019 – NASA Catches Typhoon Kammuri Post Landfall
NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP or S-NPP satellite provided infrared and night-time imagery of Typhoon Kammuri shortly after it made landfall in the Philippines.
NASA-NOAA’s S-NPP satellite provided an infrared image of Typhoon Kammuri on Dec. 2 at 12:07 p.m. EST (1707 UTC) that showed the eye near Gubat, Sorsogon, the southeastern part of Luzon. A wide, thick band of powerful thunderstorms (red) circled the entire eye, where cloud top temperatures were as cold as or colder than 210 Kelvin (minus 81.6 degrees Fahrenheit/minus 63.1 degrees Celsius). NASA research has shown that cloud top temperatures that cold or colder have the ability to generate heavy rainfall. The strongest storms were west and southwest of center where cloud tops were as cold (black) as 119 Kelvin (minus 117.6 degrees Fahrenheit/minus 83.1 degrees Celsius). Credit: NOAA/NASA/UWM-CIMSS-SSEC/William Straka III
On Dec 2 at 7 a.m. EST (1200 UTC) Kammuri, known as Tisoy in the Philippines, had maximum sustained winds near 115 knots (132 mph), and that made it a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
Per the 10 a.m. EST (1500 UTC) bulletin from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), at 11 p.m. PHT, Philippine Standard Time. Kammuri (Tisoy) made landfall near Gubat, Sorsogon which is located in the extreme southeastern part of Luzon, Philippines
Views of a Typhoon from NASA Satellites
NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP or S-NPP satellite saw Typhoon Kammuri on Dec. 2 at 12:07 p.m. EST (1707 UTC). Infrared and nighttime images were created by William Straka III, Researcher at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC), Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS). The infrared image showed the eye of Kammuri (Tisoy) near Gubat, Sorsogon, in the southeastern part of Luzon. A thick,wide band of powerful thunderstorms circled the entire eye, where cloud top temperatures were as cold as or colder than 210 Kelvin (minus 81.6 degrees Fahrenheit/minus 63.1 degrees Celsius). NASA research has shown that cloud top temperatures that cold or colder have the ability to generate heavy rainfall.
Straka noted that several prominent features include tropospheric gravity waves along with multiple overshooting cloud tops. In addition, there were also some mesospheric gravity waves. Infrared data revealed coldest temperatures of cloud tops were as cold as 119 Kelvin (minus 117.6 degrees Fahrenheit/minus 83.1 degrees Celsius) in the western and southwestern quadrants of the storm. Those were the most powerful storms that likely produced the highest rainfall rates.
NASA-NOAA’s S-NPP satellite provided an infrared image of Typhoon Kammuri on Dec. 2 at 12:07 p.m. EST (1707 UTC) that showed the eye near Gubat, Sorsogon, in southeastern part of Luzon. City lights could be seen to the north and south of the storm, in Northern Luzon, Western and Central Visayas regions, and Northern Mindanao. The eastern Visayas and Bicol regions were covered by Kammuri’s clouds. Credit: NOAA/NASA/UWM-CIMSS-SSEC/William Straka III
In the nighttime image from the S-NPP satellite, Kammuri’s eye was visible near Gubat, Sorsogon, in southeastern Luzon. City lights could be seen to the north and south of the storm, in Northern Luzon, Western and Central Visayas regions, and Northern Mindanao. The eastern Visayas and Bicol regions were covered by Kammuri’s clouds.
On Dec. 2 at 12:11 a.m. EST (0511 UTC), the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite provided a look at the cloud top temperatures in Typhoon Kammuri. A thick, wide band of powerful thunderstorms (red) circled the entire eye, where cloud top temperatures were as cold as or colder than 210 Kelvin (minus 81.6 degrees Fahrenheit/minus 63.1 degrees Celsius), which confirmed the Suomi NPP satellite data.
On Dec. 2 at 12:11 a.m. EST (0511 UTC), the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite provided a look at the cloud top temperatures in Typhoon Kammuri. A thick, wide band of powerful thunderstorms (red) circled the entire eye, where cloud top temperatures were as cold as or colder than 210 Kelvin (minus 81.6 degrees Fahrenheit/minus 63.1 degrees Celsius), which confirmed the Suomi NPP satellite data. Credit: NASA JPL/Heidar Thrastarson
Warnings in Effect on Dec. 3, 2019
PAGASA continues to track Kammuri in order to assess the impacts on the various islands in the path of the storm. On Dec. 3, PAGASA maintained the following warnings.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal number 3 was in effect for Luzon: Northern Occidental Mindoro, Lubang Island.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal number 2 was in effect for Luzon: Oriental Mindoro, Batangas, rest of Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Bataan, Metro Manila, southern Bulacan, southern Pampanga, southern Zambales, Calamian Islands, and western parts of Quezon.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal number 1 was in effect for Luzon: Northern parts of Camarines Sur, southern Neuva Ecija, southern Aurora, northern parts of Palawan, Cuyo Islands, rest of Quezon, rest of Camaines Sur, rest of Zambales, rest of Pampanga and rest of Bulacan. In addition, Signal 1 was in effect for Visayas: Northern Aklan and northern Antique.
Status of Kammuri (Tisoy) on Dec. 3
On Dec. 3, 2019 at 10 a.m. EST (1500 UTC) Typhoon Kammuri (Tisoy) was located near latitude 13.2 degrees north, and longitude 120.1 degrees east, about 99 nautical miles south-southwest of Manila, Philippines. Kammuri is moving west and had maximum sustained winds of 80 knots (92 mph/148 kph).
Typhoon Kammuri continues to weaken as it emerges on the western edges of the Philippine archipelago. The storm is forecast to turn to the east-northeast and is expected to quickly turn to the south-southwest and dissipate.
Dec. 03, 2019 – NASA-NOAA Satellite Finds Development of Tropical Cyclone 06A
Imagery from NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite showed that a tropical depression in the Arabian Sea has consolidated and organized despite facing wind shear. Tropical Depression 06A is now Tropical Cyclone 06A.
NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite passed over Tropical Cyclone 06A in the Arabian Sea on Dec. 3 and a visible image of 06A that revealed powerful storms were northwest of the center of circulation. The center of circulation is apparent in the VIIRS image as a small area of circulation located southeast of the bulk of clouds and showers. Credit: NASA Worldview, Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS)
The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard Suomi NPP provided a visible image of 06A that revealed powerful storms were northwest of the center of circulation, but the storm was able to strengthen despite the harsh environmental conditions. The center of circulation is apparent in the VIIRS image as a small area of circulation located southeast of the bulk of clouds and showers.
In general, wind shear is a measure of how the speed and direction of winds change with altitude. Tropical cyclones are like rotating cylinders of winds. Each level needs to be stacked on top each other vertically in order for the storm to maintain strength or intensify. Wind shear occurs when winds at different levels of the atmosphere push against the rotating cylinder of winds, weakening the rotation by pushing it apart at different levels. In the case of Tropical Cyclone 06A, southeasterly winds are pushing the bulk of the storm’s clouds to the northwest.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center or JTWC in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii noted, “A fully exposed low level circulation center in animated multispectral satellite imagery. Strong (20-30 knot/ 23 to 34.5 mph /32 to 55.5 kph) vertical wind shear is offsetting good poleward outflow and warm (28 to 29 degrees Celsius/82.4 to 84.2 degrees Fahrenheit) sea surface temperature, hampering intensification.” Tropical cyclones require sea surface temperatures of at least 26.6 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit) to maintain strength or intensify, so the warmer sea surface temperatures are allowing 06A to maintain its strength.
JTWC noted that at 10 a.m. EST (1500 UTC) on Dec. 3, that 06A had maximum sustained winds near 35 knots (40 mph/65 kph). 06A was located near latitude 7.1 degrees north and longitude 57.4 degrees east. It was about 784 nautical miles east-northeast of Mogadishu, Somalia.
It is moving to the northeast, however, and the track will slowly turn west southwestward as a subtropical ridge (elongated area of high pressure) builds back in to the north.
Tropical Cyclone 06A is forecast to make landfall in east central Somalia on Dec. 6 as a tropical storm.
Tropical cyclones and hurricanes are the most powerful weather events 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.
NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP or S-NPP satellite passed over the Philippine Sea in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean and found Typhoon Kammuri’s eye obscured.
NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite saw Typhoon Kammuri on Nov. 30 at 1:04 p.m. EST (1604 UTC) showed a large central dense overcast (CDO) that would obscure the low-level circulation. Infrared data revealed temperatures of cloud tops (black) were as cold as 119 Kelvin (minus 117.6 degrees Fahrenheit/minus 83.1 degrees Celsius). Credit: NOAA/NASA/UWM-CIMSS-SSEC/William Straka III
Since Kammuri has now entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility, defined by the World Meteorological Organization, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), it has been assigned a parallel name of “Tisoy.” The rational is that it is felt that Filipinos will respond more to familiar names and that it helps to underscore that these named weather disturbances pose a direct threat to the country. However, for the purposes of these discussions, the international recognized name designated by the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) Tokyo –Kammuri–will be used.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) continues to track Kammuri in order to assess the impacts on the various islands in the path of the storm. In anticipation of the storm, PAGASA has continued to issue flood alerts to various locations. This is especially important due to the fact most of the population is along the coast and in low-lying areas.
NASA-NOAA’s S-NPP satellite saw Typhoon Kammuri on Nov. 30 at 1:04 p.m. EST (1604 UTC) on the extreme western side of the pass for the satellite. Imagery continued to show a large central dense overcast (CDO) that would obscure the low-level circulation.
The CDO of a tropical cyclone is the large central area of thunderstorms surrounding its circulation center. It is caused by the formation of its eyewall. It can be round, angular, oval, or irregular.
On Dec. 2, visible imagery from the MODIS instrument aboard NASA’s Terra satellite showed that Kammuri’s eye continued to be covered by clouds. The western quadrant of Kammuri was already over the eastern central Philippines. Credit: NASA Worldview
Several prominent features in the CDO include tropospheric gravity waves along with multiple overshooting tops. In addition, while this normally would be in the “noisy” part of the scene for the Day Night Band on S-NPP, there was still enough signal from the airglow (the moon was at waxing crescent with 16% illumination) to see mesospheric gravity waves along with a single lone lightning streak within the CDO. Infrared data revealed temperatures of cloud tops were as cold as 119 Kelvin (minus 117.6 degrees Fahrenheit/minus 83.1 degrees Celsius).
On Dec. 2, visible imagery from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA’s Terra satellite showed that Kammuri’s eye continued to be covered by clouds. The western quadrant of Kammuri was already over the eastern central Philippines.
On Dec. 2, 2019 at 4 a.m. EST (0900 UTC) Typhoon Kammuri (Tisoy in the Philippines) was located near latitude 13.0 degrees north, and longitude 125.6 degrees east, about 285 nautical miles east-southeast of Manila, Philippines. Kammuri (Tisoy) is moving west and had maximum sustained winds 105 knots (121 mph/193 kph).
At 7 a.m. EST (1200), PAGASA raised 3 warning signals on Dec. 2. Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal number 3 is in effect for Luzon: Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, southern portion of Camarines Norte, Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands, Romblon, and southern portion of Quezon. In the central Philippines, it is in effect for the region of Visayas: Northern Samar, northern portion of Eastern Samar (Can-avid, Dolores, Maslog, Oras, Arteche, Jipapad, San Policarpio), and northern portion of Samar.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal number 2 is in effect in the northern Philippines for the region of Luzon: Metro Manila, Bulacan, Bataan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, southern Aurora, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Rizal, rest of Quezon including Polillo Islands, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, rest of Camarines Norte, Calamian Islands, southern portion of Zambales, In Visayas the signal covers: the rest of Eastern Samar, rest of Samar, Biliran, Aklan, Capiz, northern portion of Antique, northern portion of Iloilo, northern portion of Negros Occidental, Northern Cebu, and northern portion of Leyte.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal number 1 is in effect in the northern Philippines for the region of Luzon: Southern Isabela, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Quirino, rest of Aurora, and rest of Zambales. In Visayas: Rest of Antique, rest of Iloilo, Guimaras, rest of Negros Occidental, Metro Cebu, rest Leyte, and Southern Leyte. And in the region of Mindanao it is in effect for: Dinagat Islands and Siargao Island
Kammuri is moving in a westerly direction as it approaches the eastern Philippines. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center expects that the storm will strengthen slightly today, Dec. 2, but will then start to weaken. The typhoon is then expected to turn east-northeast as it passes through the Philippine archipelago, but will then veer southwest, weaken and dissipate.
