[image-63][image-176][image-192]NASA Maps Typhoon Matmo's Taiwan Deluge
When Typhoon Matmo crossed over the island nation of Taiwan it left tremendous amounts of rainfall in its wake. NASA used data from the TRMM satellite to calculate just how much rain fell over the nation.
The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite orbits the Earth and provides coverage over the tropics. TRMM is a satellite that is managed by both NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) that acts as a "flying rain gauge in space," that can estimate how fast rain is falling within storms on Earth and how much rain has fallen.
On July 22, at 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT), the Joint Typhoon Warning Center noted that Matmo was making landfall on Taiwan's east coast. At the time of landfall, Matmo's maximum sustained winds were near 85 knots (97.8 mph/157.4 kph). In addition to damaging winds Matmo produced very heavy rainfall while passing over central Taiwan.
TRMM gathered rainfall data from Matmo and at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, that data was used in a TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) to show rainfall totals for the period from July 17-24, 2014. The TMPA showed that rainfall totals greater than 400 mm (about 15.7 inches) soaked eastern Taiwan. Heavy rainfall also occurred on July 23 over the Taiwan Strait. That band of heavy rainfall associated with Typhoon Matmo may have contributed to a deadly airplane crash in the Penghu Islands.
Weakening tropical storm Matmo with wind speeds of less than 50 knots (about 58 mph) was moving northwestward over China when the TRMM satellite flew overhead on July 24, 2014 at 1629 UTC (12:29 p.m. EDT). TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) data observed that the heaviest precipitation was falling at a rate of over 75 mm (almost 3 inches) per hour in a rain band traveling around the southern side of Matmo's circulation.
Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau reported that the eastern coastal counties of Taitung and Hualien received as much as 600 millimeters of rain in the mountainous areas,
Hal Pierce / Rob Gutro
SSAI/NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
[image-36]Tropical Storm Matmo Continues Moving Over Southeastern China
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite captured this visible image of Tropical Storm Matmo on July 24 at 2:40 a.m. EDT, as it continued moving over southeastern China causing flooding in the Zhejiang, Fujian and Jiangxi provinces.
Text credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
[image-142]July 23, 2014 - NASA Sees Typhoon Matmo Making Second Landfall in China
NASA's Terra satellite passed over Typhoon Matmo when it was moving through the Taiwan Strait for its final landfall in mainland China.
On July 23 at 02:45 UTC (July 22 at 10:45 p.m. EDT), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite captured a picture of Typhoon Matmo after its center crossed the northern part of the island nation of Taiwan and entered the Taiwan Strait. The Taiwan Strait is the body of water between western Taiwan and southeastern China. The MODIS image showed a cloud-covered center of circulation, but a cloud extent that covered Taiwan
Matmo made land fall along China’s southeastern coastal province of Fujian early on July 23. Matmo made landfall with maximum sustained winds near 74 knots (137 kph/85 mph) making it a category one typhoon on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale.
By 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT) Matmo's center had moved inland over southeastern China. It was centered near 26.4 north latitude and 118.9 east longitude, about 142 nautical miles west-northwest of Taipei, Taiwan. Matmo's maximum sustained winds dropped quickly to 50 knots (57.5 mph/92.6 kph) and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) forecast calls for rapid weakening because of friction caused by moving over land, and an approaching mid-latitude trough (elongated area of low pressure). Matmo was moving to the northwest at 10 knots (11.5 mph/17.5 kph).
JTWC noted that complete dissipation of the system is expected over land, approximately 150 nautical miles west of Shanghai in the next day as it is absorbed in the mid-latitude boundary currently located north of the system.
Text credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
[image-110][image-126]July 22, 2014 - NASA Provides Double Vision on Typhoon Matmo
Two instruments aboard NASA's Aqua satellite provided different views of Typhoon Matmo on its approach to Taiwan today, July 22.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument snapped a visible picture of Typhoon Matmo's clouds on July 22 at 1:10 a.m. EDT. The MODIS image showed a center obscured by clouds. Bands of thunderstorms wrapped tightly into the center of circulation, creating the signature comma shape of a mature tropical cyclone. At the time of the image, the center was southeast of the southeastern tip of Taiwan. The image also showed that the southernmost band of thunderstorms were affecting Luzon, in the northern Philippines.
The second instrument aboard Aqua captured infrared data that showed temperatures of clouds. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument gathered infrared data that was false-colored at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California and made into an image. The AIRS image also did not show an open eye in Matmo, but did show powerful thunderstorms with very cold cloud top temperatures wrapped tightly around the center. Matmo's northwestern side was already over eastern Taiwan, while the southwestern quadrant blanketed the northern Philippines.
By 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT), the Joint Typhoon Warning Center noted that radar data from Taiwan showed the eye had become more visible as the storm was making landfall on the country's east coast. Maximum sustained winds were near 85 knots (97.8 mph/157.4 kph). Matmo was centered near 23.0 north latitude and 121.6 east longitude, about 158 nautical miles (181.8 miles/292.6 km) south of Taipei, Taiwan. Matmo was moving to the northwest at 9 knots (10.3 mph).
Matmo is generating 30-foot (9.1 meter) high seas which means rough seas and dangerous swells for the east coast of Taiwan in addition to typhoon-force winds, heavy rainfall and flash flooding potential. The Taiwan Central Weather Bureau has issued warnings for the entire country. Those warnings can be seen on their website: http://www.cwb.gov.tw/.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) expects the system to dissipate in two days but only after moving across Taiwan, moving into the Taiwan Strait and landfalling again in eastern China. Once Matmo exits Taiwan, the JTWC doesn't expect Matmo to strengthen before its second landfall.
Text credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
[image-94]July 21, 2014 - NASA Satellite Sees Typhoon Matmo Brush Eastern Philippines
A NASA satellite captured an image of the western quadrant of Typhoon Matmo brushing over the eastern Philippines on July 20.
NASA's Terra satellite passed over Typhoon Matmo on July 20 at 02:15 UTC and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard captured a visible image of the storm. The MODIS image showed a thick band of thunderstorms west of the storm's center were sweeping over the eastern Philippines.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) noted that animated multispectral satellite imagery on July 21 showed that convection (rising air that forms thunderstorms) around the center of circulation had strengthened from the previous day. That stronger convection was evident in a thick band of thunderstorms in the southern quadrant of the storm that wrapped into the center. That same thick band of thunderstorms was also visible on the MODIS image of July 20.
On July 21 at 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT) Typhoon Matmo's maximum sustained winds were near 70 knots (80.5 mph/129.6 kph). Matmo was centered near 18.9 north latitude and 125.0 east longitude, about 500 nautical miles south-southwest of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. Matmo is moving to the northwest at 11 knots (12.6 mph/20.3 kph) while intensifying. The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a yellow alert advisory for Okinawa-honto Chiho that includes thunderstorms and high waves as Matmo draws nearer.
JTWC forecasters said that improving upper-level conditions and warm sea surface temperatures in the Philippine Sea are conducive for further intensification, and they expect Matmo's sustained winds to peak near 105 knots (120.8 mph/194.5 kph) sometime on July 23 as it approaches northern Taiwan.
Text credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
[image-78]July 18, 2014 - NASA Sees Powerful Thunderstorms in Tropical Storm Matmo
Strong thunderstorms reaching toward the top of the troposphere circled Tropical Storm Matmo's center and appeared in a band of thunderstorms on the storm's southwestern quadrant. Infrared imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite showed very cold temperatures that indicated the high cloud tops in the powerful storms.
Tropical cyclones consist of hundreds of thunderstorms. When NASA's Aqua satellite flew over Tropical Storm Matmo on July 17 at 16:59 UTC (12:59 p.m. EDT) on July 17, the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument obtained infrared data on the tropical cyclone. AIRS showed some cloud top temperatures exceeded -63F/-52 C around the storm's center and in the southwestern quadrant of the storm indicating strong storms with the potential for heavy rainfall. The AIRS data was made into a false-colored image at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
On July 18 at 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT) Tropical Storm Matmo's maximum sustained winds were near 40 knots (46 mph/74 kph). Matmo was located approximately 222 nautical miles (255.5 miles/411.1 km) north of Koror, Palau, centered near 11.2 north latitude and 133.5 east longitude. Matmo has tracked west-northwestward at 3 knots (3.4 mph/5.5 kph).
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast indicates that Matmo will reach typhoon intensity by July 20 as it continues on a northwesterly track toward landfall in northern Taiwan around July 23 as a typhoon.
Text credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
[image-51]July 17, 2014 - NASA's Aqua Satellite Sees Birth of Tropical Depression 10W
The tenth tropical depression of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean was born as NASA's Aqua satellite passed overhead.
NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Tropical Depression 10W on July 17, as it came together northwest of the island of Yap. As Aqua passed overhead the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument aboard captured infrared data that showed powerful thunderstorms developed around the storm's center. When AIRS gathered the data on the cloud tops, the temperatures were already as cold as -63F/-52C, indicating strong uplift has pushed them to the top of the troposphere.
At 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT) on July 17, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) put the center of the depression near 10.2 north latitude and 135.2 east longitude, about 175 nautical miles (201.4 miles/ 324.1 km) west-northwest of Yap. It had maximum sustained winds near 30 knots (34.5 mph/55.5 kph) and is expected to strengthen. Tropical Depression 10W was crawling to the west at 2 knots (2.3 mph/3.7 kph), but is expected to turn to the northwest in a couple of days.
JTWC noted that "The combined effects of favorable sea surface temperatures (over 80F/26.6C) and improved upper-level conditions will allow the system to further intensify, leading to typhoon strength in five days (by July 22).
Text credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
