![\"Himawari-8](\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2018\/02\/180212_himawari8_visible_infrared_Cyclone_Gita_anim.gif\")
<\/a>Himawari-8 “Red” Visible (0.64 \u00b5m, top)<\/em> and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.4 \u00b5m, bottom)<\/em> images, with hourly plots of surface reports [click to play Animated GIF | MP4<\/strong><\/a> also available]<\/p><\/div>Himawari-8 “Red” Visible (0.64 \u00b5m) and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.4 \u00b5m) images (above)<\/strong><\/em> showed Cyclone Gita as it moved toward Tonga in the South Pacific Ocean during 11 February – 12 February 2018. The tropical cyclone reached Category 4 intensity (ADT<\/strong><\/a> | SATCON<\/strong><\/a>) near the end of the animation period.<\/p>\n A longer animation of Himawari-8 Infrared images (below)<\/strong><\/em> revealed that the center of Gita moved just south of the main island of Tongatapu. Surface observations from\u00a0Fua’Amotu (NFTF) ended after 0735 UTC<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Himawari-8 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.4 \u00b5m)<\/em> images, with hourly surface plots [click to play Animated GIF | MP4<\/strong><\/a> also available]<\/p><\/div>MIMIC-TC<\/strong><\/a> morphed microwave imagery (below)<\/strong><\/em> showed that Gita underwent an eyewall replacement cycle after moving to the southwest of Tongatapu — a small eyewall was replaced by a larger eyewall, which was very apparent in DMSP SSMIS Microwave (85 GHz) images at 1533<\/strong><\/a> and 1749 UTC<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/a>