![\"Meteosat-8](\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/03\/190314_1630utc_meteosat8_infrared_dmsp17__microwave_Idai_anim.gif\")
<\/a>Meteosat-8 Infrared Window (10.8 \u00b5m)<\/em> and DMSP-17 SSMIS Microwave (85 GHz)<\/em> images of Cyclone Idai at 1630 UTC [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>Cyclone Idai — which had been slowly intensifying over warm water<\/strong><\/a> within the Mozambique Channel since 09 March — made landfall as a Category 2 storm along the coast of Mozambique on 14 March 2019 (storm track<\/a><\/strong>). A toggle between Meteosat-8 Infrared Window (10.8 \u00b5m) and DMSP-17 SSMIS Microwave (85 GHz) images from the CIMSS Tropical Cyclones<\/strong><\/a> site (above)<\/strong><\/em> revealed a large and well-defined eye and eyewall structure at 1630 UTC. Idai had been rated at Category 3 intensity during 3 periods of time during its life cycle, most recently at 12 UTC on the day of landfall.<\/p>\n At 1911 UTC, Metop-A ASCAT winds in excess of 60\u00a0 knots were sampled just west of the eyewall region (below)<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n Meteosat-8 Infrared Window (10.8 \u00b5m)<\/em> image, with plots of Metop-A ASCAT winds at 1911 UTC [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>A comparison of VIIRS True Color Red-Green-Blue (RGB) and Infrared Window (11.45 \u00b5m) images from NOAA-20 and Suomi NPP, visualized using RealEarth<\/strong><\/a>, is shown below.<\/p>\n NOAA-20 and Suomi NPP VIIRS True Color RGB and Infrared Window (11.45 \u00b5m)<\/em> images [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>Idai had been moving through an environment of very low deep-layer wind shear<\/strong><\/a> — a favorable factor for maintaining its intensity — as shown in an animation of Meteosat-8 Infrared Window (10.8 \u00b5m) images (below)<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Meteosat-8 Infrared Window (10.8 \u00b5m)<\/em> images with contours of satellite-derived Deep-Layer Wind Shear valid at 18 UTC [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>The MIMIC TC<\/strong><\/a> product (below)<\/strong><\/em> suggested that Idai might have been in the early stage of an eyewall replacement cycle (ERC) just prior to making landfall. This, after completing a separate ERC during the preceding 48 hours<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n MIMIC TC morphed microwave image product [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>The eye of Idal was becoming cloud-filled as it approached the Mozambique coast, as seen on EUMETSAT<\/a><\/strong> Meteosat-8 High Resolution Visible (0.8 \u00b5m) images (below)<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Meteosat-8 High Resolution Visible (0.8 \u00b5m)<\/em> images [click to play animation]<\/p><\/div>A time series of surface data from the port city of Beira FQBR (below)<\/em><\/strong> showed deteriorating conditions before observations ceased at 15 UTC.<\/p>\n Surface observation data from Beira, Mozambique [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div> Landsat-8 False Color image of the eye of Idai on 11 March [click to play a zooming animation]<\/p><\/div>Flooding from Idai led to hundreds of fatalities<\/strong><\/a> in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Flooded areas near Beira on 19 Mar 2019 computed from #Sentinel1<\/a> #MozambiqueFloods<\/a>@CopernicusEMS<\/a> @CopernicusEU<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/2OdE6Ixzig<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Simon Gascoin (@sgascoin) March 20, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
\nIncidentally, an overpass of the Landsat-8 satellite on 11 March provided a 30-meter resolution view of the eye (below)<\/strong>,<\/em> soon after Idai’s first period of rapid intensification to Category 3 strength (SATCON<\/a><\/strong>). Surface mesovortices were apparent within the eye.<\/p>\n<\/a>
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![storm track<\/a><\/strong>). A toggle between Meteosat-8 Infrared Window (10.8 \u00b5m) and DMSP-17 SSMIS Microwave (85 GHz) images from the](\"http:\/\/tropic.ssec.wisc.edu\/real-time\/archerOnline\/cyclones\/2019_18S\/web\/track.png\"){kind=link}