Tag: Neoguri 2019

Oct. 22, 2019 – NASA Imagery Reveals Neoguri Now Extra-Tropical

Formerly a typhoon, now an extra-tropical storm, Neoguri has taken on more of a frontal system appearance in imagery from NASA’s Aqua satellite. The final warning on the system has been issued.

On Oct. 22, the Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite provided a visible image of Neoguri. The MODIS imagery indicated that Neoguri had an elongated and poorly defined low-level circulation center with the bulk of clouds and convection (rising air that forms the thunderstorms that make up a tropical cyclone) pushed to the northeast of the center because of strong southwesterly wind shear.

What is 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.

What does Extra-tropical Mean?

When a storm becomes extra-tropical, it means that a tropical cyclone has lost its “tropical” characteristics. The National Hurricane Center defines “extra-tropical” as a transition that implies both poleward displacement (meaning it moves toward the north or south pole) of the cyclone and the conversion of the cyclone’s primary energy source from the release of latent heat of condensation to baroclinic (the temperature contrast between warm and cold air masses) processes. It is important to note that cyclones can become extratropical and retain winds of hurricane or tropical storm force.

Neoguri on Oct. 22

On Oct. 22 at 5 a.m. EDT (0900 UTC), the Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued the final warning on Extra-tropical Storm Neoguri. At that time, Neoguri was centered near latitude 34.1 degrees north and longitude 141.4 degrees east. That is about 119 nautical miles south-southeast of Yokosuka, Japan. Neoguri was moving to the east-northeast and had maximum sustained winds near 45 knots (52 mph/83 kph). Neoguri is expected to intensify slightly and continue tracking northeastward.

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.

By Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Oct. 21, 2019 – NASA Finds a Transitioning Tropical Storm Neoguri

NASA’s Terra satellite passed over the Northwestern Pacific Ocean on Oct. 21 and captured a visible image of Tropical Storm Neoguri. Satellite imagery revealed that the storm is becoming extra-tropical.

On Oct. 21, the Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA’s Terra satellite provided a visible image of Neoguri. The MODIS imagery indicated that Neoguri appeared elongated and large storm, where the bulk of clouds and convection (rising air that forms the thunderstorms that make up a tropical cyclone) were pushed to the northeast of the center as a result of southwesterly wind shear. Sheared convection and initial frontal features indicate that the system is undergoing extratropical transition.

What is 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.

What does Extra-tropical Mean?

When a storm becomes extra-tropical it means that a tropical cyclone has lost its “tropical” characteristics. The National Hurricane Center defines “extra-tropical” as a transition that implies both poleward displacement (meaning it moves toward the north or south pole) of the cyclone and the conversion of the cyclone’s primary energy source from the release of latent heat of condensation to baroclinic (the temperature contrast between warm and cold air masses) processes. It is important to note that cyclones can become extratropical and still retain winds of hurricane or tropical storm force.

Neoguri on October 21

On Oct. 21 at 11a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) the Joint Typhoon Warning Center said that Neoguri was centered near latitude 31.4 degrees north and longitude 125.6 degrees east. That is about 311 miles southwest of Yokosaka, Japan. Neoguri was moving to the northeast and had maximum sustained winds near 40 knots (46 mph/74 kph).

Neoguri is expected to continue to weaken and will become entirely extra-tropical within 12 hours.

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.

By Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Oct. 18, 2019 – NASA-NOAA Satellite Finds Tropical Storm Neoguri Consolidating

NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite provided forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center with a visible image of Tropical Storm Neoguri that showed it had become more organized over the previous 24 hours.

Tropical Depression 21W lacked organization for a couple of days until early on Oct. 18 when the Suomi NPP satellite passed overhead and showed it had consolidated. The storm had strengthened from a depression to a tropical storm on Oct. 18.

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard Suomi NPP provided a visible image of Neoguri that revealed powerful storms circled the low-level center. The image showed that bands of thunderstorms were also developing around the eastern quadrant.

On Oct. 19 at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) Tropical Storm Neoguri, known locally in the Philippines as Perla, was located near latitude 20.4 degrees north and longitude 129.2 degrees east. That is about 374 nautical miles south-southeast of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa Island, Japan. It was moving to the northwest and had maximum sustained winds near 45 knots (52 mph/83 kph).

Forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center expect Neoguri will strengthen to 50 knots (58 mph/92 kph), then weaken before becoming extra-tropical on its northward track.

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.

By Rob Gutro 
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center