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Super Typhoon Bolaven reaches Category 5 intensity

By Scott Bachmeier •

JMA Himawari-9 Red Visible (0.64 µm) images, from 2012 UTC on 10 October to 0752 UTC on 11 October [click to play animated GIF | MP4]

Target Sector (2.5-minute interval) JMA Himawari-9 AHI Red Visible (0.64 µm) images (above) and Clean Infrared Window (10.4 µm) mages (below) showed Super Typhoon Bolaven as it reached Category 5 intensity west of the Northern Mariana Islands at 0000 UTC (SATCON) on 11 October 2023. Bolaven was an annular tropical cyclone, exhibiting a symmetric eye surrounded by a broad ring of dense and cold deep convection.

JMA Himawari-9 Clean Infrared Window (10.4 µm) images, from 2012 UTC on 10 October to 0752 UTC on 11 October [click to play animated GIF | MP4]

A closer view of Himawari-9 Visible and Infrared mages (below) revealed mesovortices within the eye, as well as the distinct stadium effect of the eye (with its edges sloping outward with height).

JMA Himawari-9 Red Visible (0.64 µm, left) and Clean Infrared Window (10.4 µm, right) images, from 2102 UTC on 10 October to 0702 UTC on 11 October [click to play animated GIF | MP4]

Microwave (85 GHz) images from DMSP-16 (at 0818 UTC) and AMSR2 (at 1627 UTC) from the CIMSS Tropical Cyclones site (below) displayed a compact and fully closed eyewall.

DMSP-16 SSMIS Microwave (85 GHz) image at 0818 UTC [click to enlarge]


AMSR2 Microwave (85 GHz) image at 1627 UTC [click to enlarge]

A noctrnal Suomi-NPP VIIRS Day/Night Band (0.7 µm) image valid at 1647 UTC (below) showed a pronounced packet of mesospheric airglow waves (reference) propagating southward away from the eye of Bolaven.

Suomi-NPP VIIRS Day/Night Band (0.7 µm) image, valid at 1647 UTC [click to enlarge]

Categories: DMSP, Himawari-9, Microwave, Suomi NPP, Tropical cyclones, VIIRS