JMA Himawari-9 Infrared Window (10.4 µm) images of Cyclone Mocha in the Bay of Bengal on 13 May 2023 (above) displayed cold clouds surrounding an eye that gradually became more cloud-cleared — with isolated cloud-top infrared brightness temperature values of -90ºC and colder (yellow pixels embedded within dark purple regions). Mocha reached Category 4 intensity at 0000 UTC on 13 May, and Category 5 intensity (sustained winds of 140 knots)at 0000 UTC on 14 May (SATCON | JTWC advisory).

A sequence of DMSP and GMI Microwave (85 GHz) images from the CIMSS Tropical Cyclones site (below) showed snapshots of an eyewall that became more well defined during the day.

The MIMIC-TC product (below) shows the 48-hour period of Mocha’s approach toward and landfall in Myanmar.

Near the time that Mocha was classified at a Category 5 tropical cyclone, a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image from the RADARSAT Constellation Mission 2 (RCM-2) satellite at 2355 UTC (source) is shown below — the peak SAR wind of 136.24 knots was found in the NW quadrant of Mocha.

Several hours after reaching its peak intensity as a Category 5 storm, JMA Hmawari-9 Visible and Infrared images (below) showed Mocha making landfall along the coast of Myanmar just after 0800 UTC on 14 May, at Category 4 intensity.

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1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-16 (GOES-East) Visible/Infrared Sandwich RGB images (above) showed thunderstorms that produced a few clusters of large hail (up to 3.00 inches in diameter: SPC Storm Reports) in the St. Louis, Missouri area on 13 May 2023.

There were also several reports of heavy rainfall — GOES-16 Visible/Infrared Sandwich RGB images at 1956 UTC UTC, 2100 UTC and 2124 UTC (below) include a cursor sampling of the associated Rainfall Rate (red), Cloud Top Phase (yellow) and Cloud Top Height (green) Level 2 Derived Products over the location of Local Storm Reports of Heavy Rainfall. Cursor readout values of Rainfall Rate remained in the 1.85-1.90 inch/hour range during the 20-25 minutes prior to each of these 3 heavy rainfall Local Storm Reports.

As discussed in this TOWR-S Satellite Book Club presentation, beginning with TOWR-S RPM 22 various types of “GOES RGBs w/Derived Product Readouts” are available in AWIPS under Satellite -> Local Menu Items, which includes these options.

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1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images (above) showed thunderstorms that produced several tornadoes, hail up to 4.50 inches in diameter and wind gusts to 73 mph (SPC Storm Reports) in addition to heavy rainfall across parts of central and eastern Nebraska (NWS Omaha summary) on 12 May 2023.

Pulsing thunderstorm overshooting tops exhibited infrared brightness temperature values as cold as -75.5ºC and multispectral Cloud Top Temperature values as cold as -77ºC — according to a plot of 0000 UTC rawinsonde data from Omaha, Nebraska (source) shown below, those temperatures correspond to an overshoot of the Most Unstable air parcel Equilibrium Level (MU EL) of about 1 km.

1-minute GOES-16 Infrared images (below) include an overlay of GLM Flash Extent Density — a notable lightning jump was evident in association with a large, destructive and long-lived tornado that moved north of Fremont, Nebraska (station identifier KFET) from about 2238-2338 UTC (cursor readout of Local Storm Reports at 2238 UTC | 2254 UTC | 2303 UTC | 2305 UTC | 2317 UTC | 2323 UTC | 2336 UTC), with frequent Flash Extent Density values in the 140-145 flashes/5-minutes range (darker shades of red).

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The storm system named ‘Mocha’ is brewing in the Bay of Bengal and was upgraded to tropical storm status earlier today. Mocha began as a deep depression in in the southeast Bay of Bengal. It is forecasted to continue moving north and gain strength, predicted to become a typhoon within 24 hours. Mocha’s current wind speeds are 50 mph.

Mocha will likely make landfall near the border between Myanmar and Bangladesh on Sunday, May 14. By that time, it will be upgraded to a ‘cyclonic storm’, or typhoon. It is predicted to cause winds up to 80 mph. Andaman and Nicobar Islands are already experiencing heavy rains from the system. Mocha will trigger heavy rains over north east India on Saturday and Sunday, as it approaches and makes landfall.

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