Tag: Chan-hom 2020

Oct. 09, 2020 – NASA Shows Heaviest Rainfall Displaced in Typhoon Chan-hom

Typhoon Chan-hom was still moving parallel to Japan’s east coast as NASA’s satellite rainfall product, that incorporates data from satellites and observations, showed its heaviest rainfall was pushed northeast of center.

Chan-hom’s Status on Oct. 9

At 5 a.m. EDT (0900 UTC), the center of Chan-hom was located near latitude 30.9 degrees north and longitude 133.9 degrees east. That is approximately 413 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, Japan. Chan-hom was moving to the north-northeast. Maximum sustained winds are near 70 knots (81 mph/130 kph).

Estimating Chan-hom’s Rainfall Rates from Space

NASA’s Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM or IMERG, which is a NASA satellite rainfall product, estimated Chan-hom’s rainfall rates on Oct. 9 at 4:30 a.m. EDT (0830 UTC).

Wind shear, outside winds at different speeds and directions that can adversely affect a tropical cyclone, were pushing Chan-hom’s heaviest rainfall northeast of the center. Chan-hom was generating as much as 30 mm (1.18 inches) of rain per hour just northeast of the center of circulation. Rainfall rates in storms surrounding those areas of heaviest rainfall were estimated as falling at a rate between 5 and 15 mm (0.2 to 0.6 inches) per hour. On the southwestern side of the center, rainfall rates were occurring between 0.1 and 1 mm (0.003 and 0.03 inches) per hour.

Forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center noted, “Chan-hom is tracking along the western periphery of a subtropical ridge (elongated area of high pressure) positioned to the east and through an overall unfavorable environment with moderate to high (25 knots/29 mph/46 kph) vertical wind shear.”

At the U.S. Naval Laboratory in Washington, D.C., the IMERG rainfall data was overlaid on infrared imagery from NOAA’s GOES-16 satellite to provide a full extent of the storm.

What Does IMERG Do?

This near-real time rainfall estimate comes from the NASA’s IMERG, which combines observations from a fleet of satellites, in near-real time, to provide near-global estimates of precipitation every 30 minutes. By combining NASA precipitation estimates with other data sources, we can gain a greater understanding of major storms that affect our planet.

What the IMERG does is “morph” high-quality satellite observations along the direction of the steering winds to deliver information about rain at times and places where such satellite overflights did not occur. Information morphing is particularly important over the majority of the world’s surface that lacks ground-radar coverage. IMERG fills in the blanks between weather observation stations.

Chan-hom’s Fate

Chan-hom will gradually weaken as it tracks generally east northeastward over the next day. In three days, the system is expected to become fully embedded in the westerly wind flow aloft. It is expected to complete extra-tropical transitioning becoming a cold core low-pressure area as it moves northeast and away from Japan.

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 more information about NASA’s IMERG, visit: https://pmm.nasa.gov/gpm/imerg-global-image

By Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Oct. 08, 2020 – NASA Sees Typhoon Chan-hom Blanket Japan

Typhoon Chan-hom’s clouds blanketed much of the big islands of Japan in a visible image from NASA’s Terra satellite. Chan-hom’s center was located southeast of Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost big island, but the western quadrant of the storm had a large reach.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA’s Terra satellite captured a visible image of Chan-hom on Oct. 8. Chan-hom’s eye appeared to be obscured by high clouds, but a hint of it could be seen in the imagery. Powerful thunderstorms circled the 30 nautical-mile wide eye.

The satellite imagery was created using NASA’s Worldview product at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

Chan-hom’s Status on Oct. 8  

At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) on Oct. 8, the center of Typhoon Chan-hom was located near latitude 29.8 degrees north and longitude 133.4 degrees east. Chan-hom was about 475 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, Japan. The storm is moving toward the north-northeast. Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 80 knots (92 mph/148 kph) with higher gusts.
Chan-hom is forecast to continue weakening and track parallel to the eastern coast of Japan while remaining offshore. Its center is forecast to pass just offshore from Tokyo on Oct. 12 as it moves in a northeasterly direction. The storm is forecast to undergo transition into an extra-tropical storm over the next several days.

About NASA’s Worldview and Terra Satellite

NASA’s Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Worldview application provides the capability to interactively browse over 700 global, full-resolution satellite imagery layers and then download the underlying data. Many of the available imagery layers are updated within three hours of observation, essentially showing the entire Earth as it looks “right now.”

NASA’s Terra satellite is one in a fleet of NASA satellites that provide data for hurricane research.

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

Oct. 07, 2020 – NASA Analyzes Rainfall Around Typhoon Chan-hom’s Ragged Eye

A NASA satellite rainfall product that incorporates data from satellites and observations found heavy rainfall occurring throughout Typhoon Chan-hom and the heaviest rainfall in the eyewall. Chan-hom is expected to bring rainfall to Japan on its track through the Northwestern Pacific Ocean.

Chan-hom’s Status on Sept. 18

At 5 a.m. EDT (0900 UTC), the center of Typhoon Chan-hom was located near latitude 26.2 degrees north and longitude 134.4 degrees east. It was centered 378 nautical miles east of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa Island, Japan, moving toward the northwest. Maximum sustained winds are near 65 knots (75 mph/120 kph) with higher gusts.

Estimating Chan-hom’s Rainfall Rates from Space

NASA’s Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM or IMERG, which is a NASA satellite rainfall product, estimated on Oct. 7 at 2 a.m. EDT (0600 UTC), Chan-hom was generating as much as 30 mm (1.18 inches) of rain per hour falling in the ragged eyewall that surrounds the eye. Rainfall throughout most of the storm was estimated as falling at a rate between 5 and 15 mm (0.2 to 0.6 inches) per hour. At the U.S. Naval Laboratory in Washington, D.C., the IMERG rainfall data was overlaid on infrared imagery from NOAA’s GOES-16 satellite to provide a full extent of the storm.

In addition to the rainfall calculation within the typhoon, animated enhanced infrared satellite imagery revealed a consolidating system with a ragged eye. Microwave imagery indicates improved banding of thunderstorms wrapping tightly into a microwave eye feature.

Warnings for heavy rainfall are in effect for Kyushu, the southernmost big island of Japan. Watches were posted for much of Japan’s southeastern and east central coasts.

What Does IMERG Do?

This near-real time rainfall estimate comes from the NASA’s IMERG, which combines observations from a fleet of satellites, in near-real time, to provide near-global estimates of precipitation every 30 minutes. By combining NASA precipitation estimates with other data sources, we can gain a greater understanding of major storms that affect our planet.

Instead, what the IMERG does is “morph” high-quality satellite observations along the direction of the steering winds to deliver information about rain at times and places where such satellite overflights did not occur. Information morphing is particularly important over the majority of the world’s surface that lacks ground-radar coverage. Basically, IMERG fills in the blanks between weather observation stations.

Chan-hom’s Forecast

Forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) expect Chan-hom to track northwestward to northward through the next two days and closer to Japan. Chan-hom is forecast to make a slow track paralleling the coast of Japan from Oct. 8 through the 11, when it is expected to affect Tokyo before heading out to open waters.

JTWC expects Chan-hom to continue weakening over the next several days and begin transitioning to an extra-tropical storm.

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 more information about NASA’s IMERG, visit: https://pmm.nasa.gov/gpm/imerg-global-image

For updated warnings from the Japan Meteorological Agency, visit: https://www.jma.go.jp/en/warn/

By Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Oct. 06, 2020 – Infrared NASA Imagery Finds Chan-hom Organizing, Consolidating

NASA’s Aqua satellite analyzed the large Tropical Storm Chan-hom as it tracked through the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. Aqua imagery showed the storm was consolidating, indicating a strengthening trend.

One of the ways NASA researches tropical cyclones is using infrared data that provides temperature information. The AIRS instrument aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite captured a look at those temperatures in Chan-hom and gave insight into the size of the storm and its rainfall potential.

Cloud top temperatures provide information to forecasters about where the strongest storms are located within a tropical cyclone. The stronger the storms, the higher they extend into the troposphere, and the colder the cloud top temperatures. NASA provides that data to forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center so they can incorporate it into their forecasting.

On Oct. 6 at 0353 UTC (Oct. 5 at 11:53 p.m. EDT) NASA’s Aqua satellite analyzed Tropical Storm Chan-hom using the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument. Forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) in Honolulu, Hawaii noted that animated enhanced infrared satellite imagery showed the system is consolidating.  JTWC noted there has been an improvement in the developing strong bands of thunderstorms wrapping into the low-level center.

AIRS found coldest cloud top temperatures as cold as or colder than minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 53 degrees Celsius) around the center of circulation. NASA research has shown that cloud top temperatures that cold indicate strong storms that have the capability to create heavy rain.

Despite the consolidation, a microwave image captured at 7:36 a.m. EDT (1136 UTC) indicated that the convective banding remains fragmented.

Chan-hom’s Status on Oct. 6

By 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) on Oct. 6, Chan-hom was located near latitude 24.5 degrees north and longitude 137.2 degrees east. It is located approximately 552 nautical miles east-southeast of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. It was moving to the west and had maximum sustained winds near 55 knots (63 mph/102 kph).

Chan-hom’s Forecast

Chan-hom is forecast to continue consolidating and organizing while it tracks generally to the northwest. It is expected to peak at typhoon strength in two days before weakening again.

About NASA’s AIRS Instrument

The AIRS instrument is one of six instruments flying on board NASA’s Aqua satellite, launched on May 4, 2002.

AIRS, in conjunction with the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU), senses emitted infrared and microwave radiation from Earth to provide a three-dimensional look at Earth’s weather and climate. Working in tandem, the two instruments make simultaneous observations down to Earth’s surface. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, three-dimensional map of atmospheric temperature and humidity, cloud amounts and heights, greenhouse gas concentrations and many other atmospheric phenomena. Launched into Earth orbit in 2002, the AIRS and AMSU instruments fly aboard NASA’s Aqua spacecraft and are managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of Caltech.

NASA Researches Tropical Cyclones

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.

More information about AIRS can be found at: https://airs.jpl.nasa.gov/

By Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Oct. 05, 2020 – NASA Imagery Reveals Tropical Storm Chan-hom’s Skewed Structure

NASA’s Terra satellite obtained visible imagery of Tropical Storm Chan-hom as it continued moving though the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The imagery revealed that the center of circulation was exposed and its strongest storms were south of the center.

Tropical Depression 16W formed on Oct. 4 and strengthened into a tropical storm on Oct 5. Once it reached tropical storm strength, it was re-named Chan-hom.  Laos submitted the name Chan-hom to the World Meteorological Organization list. The name is a type of tree in Laos.

NASA Satellite View: Chan-hom’s Organization

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA’s Terra satellite captured a visible image of Tropical Storm Chan-hom on Oct. 5 that showed a couple of things were occurring in the storm. First, bands of thunderstorms were wrapping into a partially exposed low-level circulation center. Second, there was building convection and thunderstorms occurring over the southern quadrant of the storm, giving it an appearance of a backwards letter “C” on satellite imagery. The storm is expected to strengthen over the next three days and when it does, it will likely develop a more circular shape.

The satellite imagery was created using NASA’s Worldview product at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

Chan-hom’s Status on Oct. 5

At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) on Oct. 5, Chan-hom was centered near latitude 23.0 degrees north and longitude 139.2 degrees east. That is about 738 miles south of Yokosuka, Japan. Chan-hom is moving north and has maximum sustained winds of 35 knots (40 mph/64 kph).

Chan-hom’s Forecast

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center noted, “Chan-hom is forecast to track generally northwestward along the southwestern periphery of a sub-tropical ridge (elongated area of high pressure) over the next three days. During this time, the system will steadily intensify to a peak intensity of 85 knots (98 mph/157 kph) by three days largely due to the continued low vertical wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures.”

About NASA’s Worldview and Terra Satellite

NASA’s Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Worldview application provides the capability to interactively browse over 700 global, full-resolution satellite imagery layers and then download the underlying data. Many of the available imagery layers are updated within three hours of observation, essentially showing the entire Earth as it looks “right now.”

NASA’s Terra satellite is one in a fleet of NASA satellites that provide data for hurricane research.

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