Phillipines Get a Soaking from Haiyan and Tropical Storm 30W[image-158][image-174]
In addition to the fierce winds and powerful surge, Haiyan brought copious amounts of rainfall to the central Philippines along with Tropical Storm 30W and another tropical disturbance (90w), which all passed through the the central Philippines within in the past ten days. The combined rainfall from these tropical cyclones is shown in the TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation data (TMPA) analysis shown above during the period from November 2-12, 2013 (first image to the right). It shows that most of the island of Leyte had rainfall totals greater than 500mm (~19.7 inches, dark red) with a peak amount of over 685 mm (~27 inches, lighter purple) located over the southeast corner of the island.
Peak and average rainfall over the central Philippines (second image to the right) shows that despite being far less intense, Tropical Storm Thirty, which preceded Super Typhoon Haiyan by about three days, produced similar peak rain intensities (shown in red) and over a similar duration, but less average rainfall (shown in blue) than Haiyan.
The remnants of what was once Tropical Storm Thirty (30W) over the Philippines have made there way into the Bay of Bengal after dropping heavy rainfall over Indochina.
Tropical Depression 30W (Thirty) is now poised to bring rainfall to parts of India.
The image on the left shows a TRMM satellite view of rainfall with the newly energized tropical disturbance in the Bay of Bengal on November 13, 2013 at 10:15 UTC. TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar (PR) instruments found rain falling at a rate of over 81 mm/hr (~3.2 inches) in convective storms at 11.0N 85.2W near the center of the tropical disturbance. The image on the right shows a 3-D view of 30W using data from TRMM's Precipitation Radar (PR) instrument. TRMM's PR found that a few of the powerful convective storms near the center of the tropical depression were reaching heights of 15.5 km (~9.6 miles).
TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA.
Text credit: Hal Pierce and Steve Lang, SSAI/NASA GSFC
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Nov. 13, 2013 - NASA Sees a Re-Awakening of Ex-Depression 30W in a Different Ocean [image-142]
The former tropical storm known as 30W that moved from the western North Pacific Ocean basin into the northern Indian Ocean appears to be ramping up for a short stint at depression status again. NASA's TRMM satellite noticed some areas of heavy rainfall in the re-generating low pressure area.
Ex-tropical storm 30W is currently a low pressure area located near 12.0 north and 84.5 east, approximately 250 nautical miles east-southeast of Chennai, India. 30W had maximum sustained winds as high as 30 knots/34.5 mph/55.5 kph, so it's on the edge of tropical depression status. The low is moving to the west-southwest at 9 knots/10.3 mph/16.6 kph and expected to continue in that direction until it makes landfall.
NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite captured imagery that showed areas of heavy rain, rain falling at a rate of over 50 mm/2 inches per hour, were occurring northeast of the center of circulation. Thunderstorms in that quadrant were as high as 10 km/6.2 miles high. Satellite data also showed the bands of thunderstorms had developed around the center of circulation.
Warnings have already been posted along the coast of southeastern India as the re-developing low with heavy rain is expected to make landfall in the next day or two. By Friday, Nov. 15, heavy rainfall of up to 10 inches is expected over northern Tamil Nadu and southern Andhra Pradesh.
The low pressure area is expected to continue tracking to the west-southwest and approach southeastern India and northern Sri Lanka in the next two days and has a high chance of making landfall at least as a tropical depression.
Text credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Nov. 12, 2013 - NASA Sees Ex-Tropical Depression 30W Trying to Re-form in Indian Ocean[image-126]
Tropical Depression 30W formed in the northwestern Pacific Ocean basin and crossed into the Northern Indian Ocean from Nov. 8 to Nov. 10. By Nov. 12, NASA satellite imagery saw the ex-tropical depression coming back together.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite captured an image of ex-tropical depression 30W on Nov. 12 at 04:55 UTC when it was about 440 nautical miles/506 miles/ 814.9 km east-southeast of Chennai India. 30W is a large low-level center with strong bands of thunderstorms wrapped around the northern quadrant of the storm. However, dry air is now wrapping around the western quadrants. Forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center noted that animated infrared satellite imagery showed that strong convection and weak convective banding of thunderstorms are wrapping into a defined low-level circulation center.
On Nov. 12, ex-depression 30W was centered near 11.4 north and 85.9 east, approximately 350 nautical miles/402.8 miles/648.2 km east-southeast of Chennai, India.
30W is expected to move slowly to the west. Maximum sustained surface winds are estimated at 20 to 25 knots/23 to 28.7 mph/37 to 46.3 kph. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center gives 30W a medium chance for re-generation in the next couple of days.
Text credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Nov. 08, 2013 - NASA Sees Former Tropical Depression 30W Entering Indian Ocean[image-99]
Now a remnant low pressure area, former Tropical Depression 30W may get new another life in another ocean. NASA's Aqua satellite captured an infrared image of the storm that showed strong circulation and persistent developing thunderstorms around its center.
Tropical Depression 30W moved through the Northwestern Pacific Ocean basin over the Philippines, past Vietnam and on Nov. 8, was entering the Andaman Sea, located in the eastern North Indian Ocean.
The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured an infrared image of the remnants of Tropical Depression 30W on Nov. 8 at 06:41 UTC/1:41 a.m. EST as it was crossing southern Thailand. The remnant low pressure area still showed good mid-level circulation, although the lower-level circulation was still struggling as it moved over the Malay Peninsula. The AIRS data showed that convection (rising air that forms the thunderstorms that make up a tropical cyclone) was persisting around the center.
Surface winds were as high as 20 knots/23.0 mph/37.0 kph, and the center was located near 12.5 north and 99.5 east, about 90 nautical miles southwest of Bangkok, Thailand.
Well, as expected, now entering the Andaman Sea, part of the Northern Indian Ocean, where sea surface temperatures are conducive for greater development. Forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center or JTWC are watching the storm for development as it may threaten India, Bangladesh and/or Myanmar (Burma). The JTWC gives the remnants a medium chance for redevelopment into a tropical depression over the weekend of Nov. 9 and 10.
Text credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Nov. 06, 2013 - NASA Sees Tropical Depression 30W Stretching Out, Fading [image-94]
Tropical Storm 30W weakened into a tropical depression again on Nov. 6 and wind shear stretched out the storm. The storm's elongation was evident in infrared NASA satellite imagery.
NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Tropical Depression 30W on Nov. 5 at 18:23 UTC/1:23 p.m. EST. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument captured infrared data about the storm's cloud top temperatures. The AIRS data also showed wind shear had stretched the system from west to east.
On Nov. 6 Tropical Depression 30W was making landfall in southern Vietnam. At 0900 UTC/4 a.m. EST, the final warning from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center placed the center of the depression about 200 nautical miles/230.2 miles/370.4 km east-northeast of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, near 10.9 north and 115.3 east. It was moving to the west at 12 knots/13.8 mph/ 22.2 kph, and its maximum sustained winds had dropped to 25 knots/28.7 mph/ 46.3 kph.
Animated multispectral satellite imagery showed that thunderstorm development was shallow as the storm continued to stretch out. Tropical Depression 30W is expected to dissipate over southern Vietnam in the next day, although the Joint Typhoon Warning Center noted that there is a chance of regeneration once the remnants move over the Gulf of Thailand or the Andaman Sea.
Text credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Nov. 05, 2013 - NASA Sees Warm Sea Surface Helped Strengthen Tropical Storm 30W [image-78]
NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the South China Sea and revealed that warm sea surface temperatures and low wind shear enabled Tropical Depression 30W to strengthen into a tropical storm.
NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Tropical Storm 30W on Nov. 5 at 0611 UTC/1:11 a.m. EDT as it was making its way west through the South China Sea. The infrared AIRS data provides valuable cloud top temperature data that indicates how high the thunderstorms are the make up the tropical cyclone. Some of those thunderstorms mostly north of the storm's center were high into the troposphere where air temperatures were colder than -63F/-52C. Cloud top temperatures in that range indicate that the thunderstorms have the potential to drop heavy rainfall.
AIRS infrared data also revealed that the sea surface temperatures are warm in the area of the South China Sea where TD30W is moving. Warm sea surface temperatures over 26.6C/80F are needed to maintain a tropical cyclone's intensity and those in the path of TD30W are warmer than that, enabling the storm to intensify through increased evaporation.
On Nov. 5 at 1500 UTC/10 a.m. EDT, Tropical Storm 30W or TS30W had maximum sustained winds near 35 knots/40 mph/64.8 kph. TS30W was located approximately 507 nautical miles/ 583.4 miles/939 km east of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, near 11.0 north and 114.5 east. TS30W was moving west at 16 knots/18.4 mph/29.6 kph.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast predicts that TS30W will make landfall as a tropical storm in southern Vietnam near the city of Nha Trang on Nov. 6 around 1200 UTC Universal Time./7 p.m. Vietnam local time.
Text credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Nov. 04, 2013 - NASA Sees Tropical Depression 30W Affecting Central Philippines [image-51]
Tropical Depression 30W formed and moved through Visayas, Philippines. NASA's Aqua satellite captured an infrared image of the depression that showed it had some potential for heavy rain while moving through the central Philippines.
NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Tropical Depression 30W, known locally as "Wilma," on Nov. 4 at 0529 UTC/12:29 a.m. EDT/1:29 p.m. Philippines local time as it was moving through Visayas, central Philippines. The coldest cloud tops with potential for heavy rainfall were as cold as -63F/-52C and covered Visayas and extended west to Palawan. Palawan is an island province of the Philippines, west of Visayas.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) noted on Nov. 4 that the depression weakened to a low pressure area by 5 p.m. local time. At that time the center of the low was about 9.3 miles/15 km southwest of Tagbilaran City and was bringing rains and gusty winds to Visayas and Mindanao.
Local radar at 1:30 p.m. EST/18:30 UTC on Nov. 4/2:30 a.m. local time, Nov. 5, showed the heaviest precipitation had moved west of Visayas and was in part over northern Palawan as it headed further west into the South China Sea.
At 2 p.m. local time/1 a.m. EST, PAGASA issued the final bulletin on former Tropical Depression 30W. At that time, the center of the low pressure area was about 19.8 miles/32 km southeast of Tagbilaran City.
Now that former Tropical Depression 30W was wrapping up for the Philippines, residents of Visayas are keeping a close eye on Tropical Storm Haiyan moving their way from the east.
This isn't the end of Tropical Depression 30W, however. Now that it is in the warm waters of the South China Sea, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center expects it to re-strengthen. On Nov. 4 at 1500 UTC/10 a.m. EST, maximum sustained winds were near 30 knots/34.5 mph/55.5 kph and it had regained its status as a depression. It was located near 13.4 north and 93.4 east, about 267 nautical miles east of Puerto Princesa, Philippines. It was moving quickly to the west at 21 knots/24.1 mph/38.8 kph and is expected to reach tropical storm strength in the next day or two.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast brings the depression to southern Vietnam for a landfall sometime on Nov. 6.
Text credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
