Tropical Depression Hagibis Gets a Second Chance

NASA's TRMM satellite showed moderate rainfall was occurring at a rate of 1.4 inches per hour in the northeastern quadrant of Tropical Depression Hagibis on June 17 in this composite image with MTSAT-2 satellite cloud data. Image Credit: NRL/NASA/ESA

On June 17 at 10:30 UTC (6:30 a.m. EDT) the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite passed over the regenerated Hagibis and the Precipitation Radar instrument gathered data on the storm's rainfall. The data showed that in the northeastern quadrant of the storm, moderate rainfall was occurring at a rate of 1.4 inches per hour. The TRMM satellite is managed by NASA and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Hagibis was speeding through the Northwestern Pacific Ocean and made it from southeastern China, past Taiwan and Andersen Air Base in one day.

On June 17 at 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT), Tropical Depression Hagibis' maximum sustained winds had increased up to 30 knots (34.5 mph/55.5 kph) and it was located about 200 nautical miles (230 miles/370 km) northeast of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, near 29.6 north latitude and 131.9 east longitude. Hagibis was speeding to the east at 34 knots 39.1 mph/62.9 kph).

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) cited a report that Hagibis passed about 45 nautical miles north of Amami Island, where sustained winds less than 15 knots (17.2 mph/27.8 kph) were reported.

JTWC noted that Hagibis is being battered by vertical wind shear greater than 30 knots, which is elongating the storm. Hagibis has crossed the Kuroshio Current and is now over much cooler sea surface temperatures which will decrease convection (the ability to build the thunderstorms that make up a tropical cyclone).

The Kuroshio Current originates from Taiwan's east coast and flows in a northeasterly direction past Japan, where it joins the easterly movement of the North Pacific Current. The Kuroshio Current has been likened to the movement of the Gulf Stream along the U.S. east coast.

Hagibis is expected to continue on an east-northeasterly track, passing north of Iwo To and staying south of mainland Japan as it heads into the open waters of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean where it will transition into an extra-tropical cyclone in the next day.

Text credit:  Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Media Contact

Rob Gutro Eurek Alert!

All 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.

Back to home

Comments (0)

Write a comment

Newest articles

Lighting up the future

New multidisciplinary research from the University of St Andrews could lead to more efficient televisions, computer screens and lighting. Researchers at the Organic Semiconductor Centre in the School of Physics and…

Researchers crack sugarcane’s complex genetic code

Sweet success: Scientists created a highly accurate reference genome for one of the most important modern crops and found a rare example of how genes confer disease resistance in plants….

Evolution of the most powerful ocean current on Earth

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current plays an important part in global overturning circulation, the exchange of heat and CO2 between the ocean and atmosphere, and the stability of Antarctica’s ice sheets….

Partners & Sponsors