Fires – Hurricane And Typhoon Updates

Genevieve – Eastern Pacific Ocean

Aug. 20, 2020 – NASA Gets a Wide Angle View of Hurricane Genevieve

NASA provided a series of photos of Hurricane Genevieve as it affected Mexico’s southern Baja California peninsula. An astronaut aboard the International Space Station provided wide-angle photos of Genevieve, showing the size of the storm. Warnings and watches are in effect on Aug. 20.

ISS image of Genevieve — International Space Station Astronaut Chris Cassidy snapped photos of the Eastern Pacific Ocean’s Hurricane Genevieve on Aug 19, 2020 at 4 p.m. EDT. Credit: NASA/ISS/Chris Cassidy

International Space Station Astronaut Chris Cassidy snapped photos of the Eastern Pacific Ocean’s Hurricane Genevieve on Aug 19, 2020 at 4 p.m. EDT. The photos revealed a clear eye surrounded by a ring of powerful thunderstorms. At the time of the photo Genevieve’s tropical-storm force winds extended out 280 miles. By Aug. 20 as the storm weakened, its wind field expanded and hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 30 miles (45 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extended outward up to 115 miles (185 km).

On Aug. 20, Genevieve was moving in a northerly direction, paralleling the coast of Baja California Sur.

Warnings and Watches on Aug. 20

On Thursday, August 20, 2020, NOAA’s National Hurricane Center (NHC) posted a Tropical Storm Warning for Mexico’s Baja California peninsula from Los Barriles to Cabo San Lazaro. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the east coast of the Baja California peninsula from Los Barriles to La Paz. At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC), the NHC reported, “Tropical storm conditions have already been occurring along the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula since last night, and these conditions continue to spread northward over the Southern Baja California peninsula, especially over higher terrain.”

Genevieve on Thursday, August 20

At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC), the center of Hurricane Genevieve was located near latitude 23.3 degrees north and longitude 111.4 degrees west. That is about 100 miles (160 km) west-northwest of the southern tip of Baja California and about 120 miles (190 south-southeast of Cabo San Lazaro, Mexico. Genevieve was moving toward the northwest near 12 mph (19 kph) and this motion is expected to continue through Saturday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph (120 kph) with higher gusts. Further gradual weakening is expected today and through the weekend. However, Genevieve is expected to remain a hurricane through much of today while it passes just to the southwest and west of the southern Baja California peninsula. The estimated minimum central pressure is 984 millibars.

Baja California Hazards

NHC noted the Baja is facing strong winds, heavy rainfall, and large ocean swells. “Tropical storm conditions will spread northward within the warning area in the southern Baja California peninsula through today and may linger into tonight. Tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area through the early afternoon, especially over higher terrain.

Genevieve is expected to produce additional rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches across southern Baja California Sur, with isolated storm totals of 12 inches across far southern Baja California Sur. This rainfall may lead to life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides.

Large swells produced by Genevieve are affecting portions of the west-central coast of Mexico and are spreading northward along the coast of the Baja California peninsula. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.”

Genevieve’s Forecast Track

The National Hurricane Center forecast said the center of Genevieve is expected to pass just to the southwest and west of the southern portion of the Baja California peninsula today (Aug. 20), and move away from the peninsula on Friday, Aug. 21.

NASA Researches Tropical Cyclones

Hurricanes/tropical cyclones 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.

For more than five decades, NASA has used the vantage point of space to understand and explore our home planet, improve lives and safeguard our future. NASA brings together technology, science, and unique global Earth observations to provide societal benefits and strengthen our nation. Advancing knowledge of our home planet contributes directly to America’s leadership in space and scientific exploration.

For updated forecasts, visit: www.nhc.noaa.gov

By Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Gretel – Southern Pacific Ocean

Mar. 16, 2020 – NASA Finds Gretel Becoming Extra-Tropical

NASA’s Terra satellite passed over the Southern Pacific Ocean and captured an image of Tropical Storm Gretel as it was transitioning into an extra-tropical cyclone, northwest of New Zealand.

Terra image of Gretel — On March 16, the MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA’s Terra satellite took this image of Tropical Cyclone Gretel and showed a transitioning storm northwest of New Zealand. Credit: NASA Worldview

Tropical Cyclone 23P formed on March 14 at 4 p.m. EDT (2100 UTC) between Australia and New Caledonia. Once it intensified into a tropical storm, it was renamed Gretel.

On March 16, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA’s Terra satellite provided forecasters with a visible image of Tropical Cyclone Gretel. The bulk of Gretel’s clouds and storms were south and southeast of the center of circulation. Clouds associated with Gretel extended to northern New Zealand, despite the storm’s center being hundreds of miles away.

At 11 p.m. EDT on March 15 (0300 UTC on March 16), the Joint Typhoon Warning Center or JTWC issued the final warning on Gretel. At that time, the center of Tropical Cyclone Gretel was located near latitude 26.6 degrees south and longitude 169.7 degrees east, about 675 nautical miles north-northwest of Auckland, New Zealand. Maximum sustained winds were near 50 knots (58 mph/93 kph) and Gretel was speeding southeast at 25 knots (29 mph/46 kph).

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center or JTWC noted that Gretel will continue to move southeast and is now becoming extra-tropical.

Often, a tropical cyclone will transform into an extra-tropical cyclone as it recurves toward the poles (north or south, depending on the hemisphere the storm is located in). An extra-tropical cyclone is a storm system that primarily gets its energy from the horizontal temperature contrasts that exist in the atmosphere.

Tropical cyclones have their strongest winds near the earth’s surface, while extra-tropical cyclones have their strongest winds near the tropopause – about 8 miles (12 km) up. Tropical cyclones, in contrast, typically have little to no temperature differences across the storm at the surface and their winds are derived from the release of energy due to cloud/rain formation from the warm moist air of the tropics.

Tropical cyclones/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.

By Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Lorena – Eastern Pacific Ocean

Sep. 23, 2019 – NASA Catches Tropical Storm Lorena’s Landfall Approach

As Tropical Storm Lorena was nearing landfall in northwestern Mexico, NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite provided forecasters with an image of the storm. By Monday, Sept. 23, Lorena’s remnants were affecting the southern U.S. and bringing heavy rainfall to Arizona.

Suomi NPP image of Lorena — NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite passed over Tropical Storm Lorena as it was approaching landfall in northwestern Mexico on Sept. 21 at 4:42 p.m. EDT (2042 UTC). Credit: NASA Worldview, Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS)

Visible imagery from NASA satellites help forecasters understand if a storm is organizing or weakening. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard Suomi NPP provided a visible image of Lorena on Sept. 21 at 4:42 p.m. EDT (2042 UTC).

The shape of a tropical cyclone provides forecasters with an idea of its organization and strength, and NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite provided a visible image of the storm to forecasters as its center was approaching landfall. The storm already appeared elongated from south to north after its northeastern side had begun moving over the high terrain of northwestern Mexico. Lorena made a slow track to the coast and made landfall about 12 hours later.

Lorena’s Final Advisory

At 11 am EDT on Sunday, Sept. 22, NOAA’s National Hurricane Center issued the final advisory on the system. By that time, Post-Tropical Cyclone Lorena crossed the coast of northwestern Mexico in the morning. The center of the disturbance was estimated near latitude 28.8 degrees north and longitude 111.5 degrees west. The post-tropical cyclone was moving toward the north near 9 mph (15 kph). Maximum sustained winds associated with this system are near 30 mph (45 kph) with higher gusts.

After landfall, Lorena’s remnant clouds and rain moved north into Arizona.

Lorena’s Remnants in Arizona on Sept. 23

NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center College Park, Md. reported, “Moisture from the remnants of Lorena will contribute to heavy rain, strong to severe thunderstorms and possible flooding across the Southwest through Tuesday. There should be enough moisture in place to support a significant rainfall event with widespread 1 to 2 inch rainfall totals with much higher amounts locally, with the greatest amounts in central and southern Arizona. This degree of rainfall warrants flash flood concerns, and a Moderate Risk of excessive rainfall is in effect for that region. Some strong to severe thunderstorms will also be possible.”

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: www.nhc.noaa.gov

By Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center