NASA Satellite Sees Tropical Storm Nalgae Take on the Comma Shape
A comma shape is a typical shape that mature tropical storms and hurricanes take on, and NASA's Aqua satellite noticed that Tropical Storm Nalgae in the western Pacific Ocean has now matured to that shape.
The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument that flies on Aqua, took a visible image of Tropical Storm Nalgae on Sept. 28 at 03:53 UTC. In addition to the comma shape the storm has taken on, the AIRS instrument provided a look at cloud-top temperatures, which are an indication of where the strongest storms and heaviest precipitation is falling. The coldest cloud top temperatures (colder than -63F/-52C) were north, west and south of the center of circulation. The infrared data also showed tightly curved bands of thunderstorms wrapping into the low-level center of circulation, indicating the storm is organizing further. Microwave satellite imagery already indicates that an eye has formed.
Tropical storm Nalgae formed from Tropical Depression 22 when it strengthened overnight. Today, Sept. 28, 2011 at 0900 UTC (5 a.m. EDT), Nalgae had maximum sustained winds near 50 knots. Tropical Storm Nalgae is about 180 miles in diameter as tropica-storm-force winds extend as far as 90 miles from the center.
The forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) noted that the warm sea surface temperatures ahead of Nalgae will enable it to strengthen. Those sea surface temperatures were also seen by the infrared AIRS image. JTWC forecasts that Nalgae will become a typhoon by the time it reaches northern Luzon, Philippines around the first of October.
The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument that flies on Aqua, took a visible image of Tropical Storm Nalgae on Sept. 28 at 03:53 UTC. In addition to the comma shape the storm has taken on, the AIRS instrument provided a look at cloud-top temperatures, which are an indication of where the strongest storms and heaviest precipitation is falling. The coldest cloud top temperatures (colder than -63F/-52C) were north, west and south of the center of circulation. The infrared data also showed tightly curved bands of thunderstorms wrapping into the low-level center of circulation, indicating the storm is organizing further. Microwave satellite imagery already indicates that an eye has formed.
Tropical storm Nalgae formed from Tropical Depression 22 when it strengthened overnight. Today, Sept. 28, 2011 at 0900 UTC (5 a.m. EDT), Nalgae had maximum sustained winds near 50 knots. Tropical Storm Nalgae is about 180 miles in diameter as tropica-storm-force winds extend as far as 90 miles from the center.
The forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) noted that the warm sea surface temperatures ahead of Nalgae will enable it to strengthen. Those sea surface temperatures were also seen by the infrared AIRS image. JTWC forecasts that Nalgae will become a typhoon by the time it reaches northern Luzon, Philippines around the first of October.
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