NASA sees Tropical Cyclone 15S form in the Mozambique Channel
NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Tropical cyclone 15S on Feb. 18 at 10:53 a.m. EST. The highest cloud tops and strongest thunderstorms (purple) were in a band that stretched from the east to the south of the center.<br><br>Credit: NASA JPL, Ed Olsen<br>
NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Tropical cyclone 15S on Feb. 18 at 10:53 a.m. EST. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument captured infrared data on the tropical system that showed the highest cloud tops and strongest thunderstorms were in a band that stretched from the east to the south of the center.
Cloud top temperatures were near -63F/-52C, indicating high, powerful thunderstorms with potential for heavy rainfall. The eastern-most edge was over western Madagascar and the southwestern extent reached Mozambique on the African mainland.
On February 18 at 1500 UTC/10 a.m. EST, Tropical Cyclone 15S had maximum sustained winds near 35 knots/40 mph/62 kph, making it a tropical storm. 15S was centered near 18.3 south and 40.3 east, about 375 nautical miles/431.5 miles/694.5 km west of Antananarivo, Madagascar.
It was moving to the south at 5 knots/5.7 mph/9.2 kph and is expected to strengthen to hurricane-force over the next couple of days. It is generating 10 foot high waves in the Mozambique Channel.
Forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center expect 15S to drift south through the Mozambique Channel over the next couple of days and emerge in the Southern Indian Ocean in cooler waters.
Media Contact
More Information:
http://www.nasa.govAll latest news from the category: Earth Sciences
Earth Sciences (also referred to as Geosciences), which deals with basic issues surrounding our planet, plays a vital role in the area of energy and raw materials supply.
Earth Sciences comprises subjects such as geology, geography, geological informatics, paleontology, mineralogy, petrography, crystallography, geophysics, geodesy, glaciology, cartography, photogrammetry, meteorology and seismology, early-warning systems, earthquake research and polar research.
Newest articles
Properties of new materials for microchips
… can now be measured well. Reseachers of Delft University of Technology demonstrated measuring performance properties of ultrathin silicon membranes. Making ever smaller and more powerful chips requires new ultrathin…
Floating solar’s potential
… to support sustainable development by addressing climate, water, and energy goals holistically. A new study published this week in Nature Energy raises the potential for floating solar photovoltaics (FPV)…
Skyrmions move at record speeds
… a step towards the computing of the future. An international research team led by scientists from the CNRS1 has discovered that the magnetic nanobubbles2 known as skyrmions can be…
