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Ikola (Southern Indian Ocean)

NASA-NOAA Satellite Sees the End of Tropical Cyclone Ikola

Suomi NPP image of Ikola
This image of Ikola was taken on April 8 from NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite and showed strong wind shear pushed the clouds far southeast of the center. That wind shear also elongated the storm.
Credits: NRL/NASA/NOAA

Strong vertical wind shear has taken a toll on Tropical Cyclone Ikola and that was pretty clear in a visible-light image from NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite today, April 8.

When Suomi NPP flew over Tropical Cyclone Ikola at 07:05 UTC (3:05 a.m. EDT), the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite or VIIRS instrument aboard captured a visible image of the storm.

VIIRS is a scanning radiometer that collects visible and infrared imagery and “radiometric” measurements. Basically it means that VIIRS data is used to measure cloud and aerosol properties, ocean color, sea and land surface temperature, ice motion and temperature, fires, and Earth’s albedo (reflected light).

The VIIRS image showed that the storm had basically unraveled and the bulk of clouds associated with it were pushed about 150 nautical miles (172.6 miles/277.8 km) southeast of the center. The thunderstorms were pushed by strong northwesterly vertical wind shear blowing between 40 and 50 knots. That wind shear also elongated the storm.

At 09:00 UTC (5 a.m. EDT), Tropical Cyclone Ikola’s maximum sustained winds had dropped to 35 knots (40 mph/65 kph). It was centered near 21.2 south latitude and 98.6 east longitude, about 1,017 nautical miles (1,170 miles/1,883 km) west of Learmonth, Western Australia. Ikola was moving to the east at 12 knots (13.8 mph/22.2 kph), but fading fast. 

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast called for the strong northwesterly vertical wind shear to continue to deteriorate the system and lead to its dissipation later today.   

The Suomi NPP mission is a bridge between NOAA and NASA legacy Earth observing missions and NOAA’s next-generation Joint Polar Satellite System, or JPSS.

Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Apr. 07, 2015 – NASA Eyes Cyclone Ikola Maintaining Hurricane-Strength

On April 7 at 04:25 UTC (12:25 a.m. EDT), NASA captured this visible-light image of Tropical Cyclone Ikola in the Indian Ocean.
On April 7 at 04:25 UTC (12:25 a.m. EDT) the MODIS instrument aboard NASA’s Terra satellite captured this visible-light image of Tropical Cyclone Ikola in the Indian Ocean.
Credits: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team

Tropical Cyclone Ikola maintained hurricane-force winds on the second day of its existence when NASA’s Aqua satellite passed overhead on April 7. Ikola is in the Southern Indian Ocean, currently far from land, but on a forecast track to move toward southwestern Australia in a couple of days.

On April 7 at 04:25 UTC (12:25 a.m. EDT) the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA’s Terra satellite captured a visible-light image of Tropical Cyclone Ikola. Ikola’s eye was small and slightly obscured by high clouds, but still discernable in the MODIS image. Powerful thunderstorms wrapped tightly around the center, while a large, thick band of thunderstorms from the eastern quadrant circled the storm and wrapped into it south of the center.

On April 7 at 0900 UTC (5 a.m. EDT), Tropical Cyclone Ikola’s maximum sustained winds were near 95 knots (109.3 mph/175.9 kph). It was centered near 18.0 south latitude and 93.4 east longitude, about 1,193 nautical miles (1,373 miles/ 2,209 km) west of Learmonth, Australia. Ikola was moving to the southeast at 14 knots (16.1 mph/25.9 kph), and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) expects the storm to continue in that direction over the next several days while weakening. Ikola is moving into an area of increased vertical wind shear and cooler sea surface temperatures. When Ikola moves far to the west of Perth, Western Australia around April 10, the JTWC expects the storm to dissipate at sea.
Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
 

satellite view of tropical cyclone
NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this visible image of Tropical Cyclone Ikola in the Southern India Ocean on April 6 at 08:05 UTC.
Credits: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team

Apr. 06, 2015 – NASA Spots an Eye in Fast-Developing Cyclone Ikola

Tropical Cyclone Ikola formed quickly on April 6 and quickly strengthen to hurricane-force in the Southern Indian Ocean. NASA’s Aqua satellite passed overhead after the storm developed an eye.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite captured a visible image of Tropical Cyclone Ikola on April 6 at 08:05 UTC (4:05 a.m. EDT). The MODIS image clearly showed an eye with thunderstorms wrapping into the center from the eastern and western quadrants. A large, thick band of thunderstorms from the eastern side were spinning around the southern quadrant and into the western side of the low-level center. The image was created by the NASA MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument that also flies aboard Aqua captured infrared data on the storm during the same overpass. Cloud top temperatures circling the eye were colder than -63F/-52C, indicating high, strong thunderstorms with the potential for heavy rainfall.

At 0900 UTC (5 a.m. EDT) on April 6, 2015, Tropical Cyclone Ikola’s maximum sustained winds were near 65 knots (75 mph/120 kph). It was located about 1,497 nautical miles (1,723 miles/ 2,772 km) west-northwest of Learmonth, Australia, near 14.2 south latitude and 89.2 east longitude. Ikola was moving to the southeast at 9 knots (10.3 mph/16.6 kph) and poses no threat to land areas.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center expects Ikola to strengthen to 75 knots (86.3 mph/138.9 kph) and then gradually weaken, where it is forecast to dissipate far west of Perth, Western Australia.

Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center