Tropical cyclones « CIMSS Satellite Blog

Tropical Storm Adrian

May 10th, 2017 | Scott Bachmeier

GOES-16 Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images [click to play animation]

** The GOES-16 data posted on this page are preliminary, non-operational data and are undergoing testing. **

East Pacific Ocean Tropical Depression 1E intensified to become Tropical Storm Adrian (at 9.5º N latitude, 92.3º W longitude) at 03 UTC on 10 May 2017 — making it the earliest tropical storm on record in the East Pacific basin during the meteorological satellite era. GOES-16 Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images (above) revealed a series of nocturnal convective bursts which exhibited cloud-top infrared brightness temperatures in the -80º to -89º C range (shades of violet color enhancement).

During the subsequent daylight hours, GOES-16 Visible (0.64 µm) images (below) showed that southeasterly deep layer wind shear (source) had decoupled the organized convection from the exposed low-level circulation center (LLCC). Due to the far southern location of Adrian, only Full Disk scan images were available, at 15-minute intervals.

GOES-16 Visible (0.64 µm) images [click to play animation]

However, one of the GOES-16 Mesoscale Sectors was positioned over Adrian during the 2226-2355 UTC period, providing images of the LLCC at 1-minute intervals (below).

GOES-16 Visible (0.64 µm) mesoscale sector images [click to play animation]

Posted in GOES-16, Satellite winds, Tropical cyclones | No Comments »

Cyclone Donna in the South Pacific Ocean

May 7th, 2017 | Scott Bachmeier

Himawari-8 Infrared Window (10.4 µm) images [click to play MP4 animation]

Cyclone Donna (18P) formed in the South Pacific Ocean (northeast of Vanuatu) on 02 May 2017. Himawari-8 Infrared Window (10.4 µm) images during the 03-06 May period (above) revealed the formation of multiple convective bursts, many exhibiting cloud-top IR brightness temperatures of -90º C and colder.

On 07 May, Cyclone Donna rapidly intensified from a Category 2 to a Category 4 storm (SATCON | ADT) — and Himawari-8 Infrared Window images (below) showed the presence of a large eye for a few hours. Environmental factors favoring rapid intensification included warm sea surface temperatures and light vertical wind shear.

Himawari-8 Infrared Window (10.4 µm) images [click to play MP4 animation]

A comparison of GMI Microwave (85 GHz) and Himawari-8 Infrared Window (10.4 µm) images from the CIMSS Tropical Cyclones site (below) showed that the actual diameter of the eye was much larger on microwave imagery around 1400 UTC on 07 May.

GMI Microwave (85 GHz) and Himawari-8 Infrared Window (10.4 µm) images [click to enlarge]

Posted in Himawari-8, Other Satellites, Tropical cyclones | No Comments »

Tropical Storm Arlene

April 20th, 2017 | Scott Bachmeier

GOES-16 Visible (0.64 um, left) and Infrared Window (10.3 um, right) images [click to play animation]

GOES-16 Visible (0.64 um, left) and Infrared Window (10.3 um, right) images, with hourly ship reports when available [click to play animation]

** The GOES-16 data posted on this page are preliminary, non-operational data and are undergoing testing. **

A comparison of GOES-16 Visible (0.64 um) and Infrared Window (10.3 um) images (above) showed the development of Tropical Storm Arlene in the Atlantic Ocean on 20 April 2017. Arlene has been one of only two tropical storms to be observed in the Atlantic Basin during the month of April in the satellite era.

A DMSP-15 SSMI Microwave (85 GHz) image from the CIMSS Tropical Cyclones site (below) revealed the formative stage of a convective ring around the core of Arlene at 1654 UTC.

9below DMSP-15 SSMI Microwave (85 GHz) image [click to enlarge]

The MIMIC Total Precipitable Water product (below) showed that Tropical Depression 1 / Arlene was embedded within a plume of modest TPW (30-40 mm) which was wrapping into a large mid-latitude cyclone to the west.

MIMIC Total Precipitable Water product, with surface analyses [click to play animation]

Posted in DMSP, GOES-16, Tropical cyclones | No Comments »

Cyclone Debbie makes landfall in Queensland, Australia

March 28th, 2017 | Scott Bachmeier

Himawari-8 Visible (0.64 µm) and Infrared Window (10.4 µm) images [click to play animation]

Cyclone Debbie formed in the Coral Sea on 22 March 2017, and eventually intensified to a Category 3 storm (ADT | SATCON) as it moved southward toward Australia. Himawari-8 Visible (0.64 µm) and Infrared Window (10.4 µm) images (above) showed the eye of Debbie as it was making landfall in Queensland, near Prosperpine (YBPN).

Landsat-8 false-color, with Himawari-8 Visible (0.64 µm) and Infrared Window (10.4 µm) images [click to enlarge]

The Landsat-8 satellite made an overpass of the eye at 2358 UTC (above), as a large convective burst had developed within the northern semicircle of the eyewall (which was also evident in the corresponding Himawari-8 Visible and Infrared Window images viewed using RealEarth).

Himawari-8 Infrared Window (10.4 µm) and GMI Microwave (85 GHZ) Images around 1430 UTC on 27 March [click to enlarge]

Debbie was undergoing an eyewall replacement cycle as the storm center approached the coast — this was evident in Microwave (85 GHz) images from GMI at 1425 (above) and SSMIS at 2017 UTC (below) from the CIMSS Tropical Cyclones site.

Himawari-8 Infrared Window (10.4 µm) and DMSP-18 SSMIS Microwave (85 GHz) images around 2017 UTC on 27 March [click to enlarge]

The MIMIC Total Precipitable Water product (below; also available as an MP4 animation) showed copious tropical moisture associated with Cyclone Debbie, which led to rainfall accumulations as high as 780 mm (30.7 inches) — with rainfall rates up to 200 mm (7.9 inches) per hour — and record flooding along the coast from Brisbane to Lismore.