Featured Images

Text Size

Hurricane Season 2008: Tropical Disturbance (Puerto Rico)
 
Aug. 15, 2008

Tropical Disturbance Over Puerto Rico May Become Tropical Depression

AIRS image of tropical disturbance over Puerto Rico Credit: NASA JPL
> Larger image Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center are keeping an eye on an area of low pressure centered over Puerto Rico, and it is expected to be classified as a tropical depression later today, August 15.

At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Aug. 15, satellite imagery and radar data from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic indicated that the low pressure area is becoming better organized. It was centered over the Mona Passage.

The system may develop into a tropical depression before the low moves west-northwestward near or over the Dominican Republic this afternoon. NOAA and air force Reserve hurricane hunter aircraft are scheduled to investigate the system.

According to the National Hurricane Center, "This system is expected to bring locally heavy rains and gusty winds to portions of the Virgin Islands... Puerto Rico...Hispaniola...Eastern Cuba...and the southeastern Bahamas interests in these areas...as well as in the remainder of the Bahamas the remainder of Cuba and southern Florida should monitor the progress of this system."

This infrared image of the tropical disturbance was created by data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), an instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite. The image was created on August 15 at 5:41 UTC (1:41 a.m. EDT).

The AIRS images show the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the disturbance. The AIRS data creates an accurate 3-D map of atmospheric temperature, water vapor and clouds, all of which are helpful to forecasters.

The infrared signal of the AIRS instrument does not penetrate through clouds. Where there are no clouds the AIRS instrument reads the infrared signal from the surface of the ocean waters, revealing warmer temperatures in orange and red.

Text credit: Rob Gutro (From NHC Reports), NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
 
› Back To Top