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Cyclone Fani makes landfall in India

By Scott Bachmeier •

EUMETSAT-8 Meteosat-8 Infrared Window (10.8 µm) umages [click to play animation | MP4]

EUMETSAT Meteosat-8 Infrared Window (10.8 µm) images [click to play animation | MP4]

EUMETSAT Meteosat-8 Infrared Window (10.8 µm) images (above) showed the intensification of Cyclone Fani to a high-end Category 4 storm on 02 May 2019 (ADT | SATCON | PGTW advisory), before eventually making landfall in northeastern India at 0230 UTC on 03 May. During its life cycle, Fani moved over warm sea surface temperature values of 29-30ºC — and deep-layer wind shear of only 5-10 knots on 02 May provided an environment favorable for rapid intensification.

Once inland, Fani was in the process of rapidly weakening to a Category 1 storm as it passed over Bhabaneswar (VEBS), and surface wind gusts to 75 knots were reported at that site (below).

Time series plot of surface observations from Bhabaneswar, India [click to enlarge]

Time series plot of surface observations from Bhabaneswar, India [click to enlarge]

A sequence of VIIRS Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images from NOAA-20 and Suomi NPP as viewed using RealEarth (below) showed snapshots of Fani from 19 UTC on 01 May (over the Bay of Bengal) to 07 UTC on 03 May (after landfall).

Sequence of NOAA-20 and Suomi NPP VIIRS Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images [click to enlarge]

Sequence of NOAA-20 and Suomi NPP VIIRS Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images [click to enlarge]

A comparison of VIIRS True Color Red-Green-Blue (RGB) and Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images from NOAA-20 and Suomi NPP on 02 May (below) showed Fani shortly after it had reached Category 4 intensity.

VIIRS True Color RGB and Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images from NOAA-20 and Suomi NPP [click to enlarge]

VIIRS True Color RGB and Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images from NOAA-20 and Suomi NPP [click to enlarge]

DMSP-17 SSMIS Microwave (85 GHz) image at 1230 UTC + Meteosat-8 Infrared Window (10.8 µm) image at 1300 UTC [click to enlarge]

DMSP-17 SSMIS Microwave (85 GHz) image at 1230 UTC + Meteosat-8 Infrared Window (10.8 µm) image at 1300 UTC [click to enlarge]

A toggle between a DMSP-17 SSMIS Microwave image at 1230 UTC and a Meteosat-8 Infrared Window image at 1300 UTC  from the CIMSS Tropical Cyclones site (above) showed the eye and totally closed eyewall of Fani when it was at its peak intensity on 02 May. However, the MIMIC TC product (below) indicated that the eastern portion of the eyewall started to erode as Fani approached the coast and began to undergo an eyewall replacement cycle.

MIMIC TC morphed microwave product, 01-02 May [click to enlarge]

MIMIC TC morphed microwave product, 01-02 May [click to enlarge]

On 30 April, VIIRS DayNight Band (0.7 µm) images (below, courtesy of William Straka, CIMSS) revealed widespread mesospheric airglow waves (reference) within the western semicircle of the storm, along with numerous bright lightning streaks associated with convection south of the storm center.

Suomi NPP VIIRS Day/Night Band (0.7 µm) and Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images at 1939 UTC on 30 April [click to enlarge]

Suomi NPP VIIRS Day/Night Band (0.7 µm) and Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images at 1939 UTC on 30 April [click to enlarge]

NOAA-20 VIIRS Day/Night Band (0.7 µm) and Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images at 2029 UTC on 30 April [click to enlarge]

NOAA-20 VIIRS Day/Night Band (0.7 µm) and Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images at 2029 UTC on 30 April [click to enlarge]

Categories: DMSP, Meteosat, Microwave, NOAA-20, RealEarth, Red-Green-Blue (RGB) images, Satellite winds, Suomi NPP, Tropical cyclones, VIIRS