[image-126]NASA Sees Tropical Cyclone Colin's Final Bow
Tropical Cyclone Colin is becoming an extra-tropical system in the Southern Pacific Ocean and NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image of the transitioning storm.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued their final warning on Colin on January 15 at 1500 UTC/10 a.m. EST. At that time, Colin had maximum sustained winds near 35 knots/40 mph/62 kph and was weakening. It was centered near 31.8 south latitude and 77.7 east longitude, about 1,090 nautical miles/1,254 miles/2,019 km northeast of Kerguelen Island. Colin was moving to the southeast at 23 knots/26.4 mph/42.6 kph.
As NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Colin the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument captured a visible image of the changing storm on January 15 at 0925 UTC/4:25 a.m. EST. The MODIS image revealed that Colin had become slightly elongated as a result of increasing vertical wind shear. The visible image also showed that the bulk of cloud cover (and shower activity) has been pushed east of the center.
A conversion to "extra tropical" status means that the area of low pressure (Colin) eventually loses its warm core and becomes a cold-core system. During the time it is becoming extra-tropical the cyclone's primary energy source changes from the release of latent heat from condensation (from thunderstorms near the storm's center) to baroclinic (temperature and air pressure) processes. When a cyclone becomes extra-tropical it will usually connect with nearby fronts and or troughs (extended areas of low pressure) consistent with a baroclinic (pressure) system. When that happens it appears the system grows larger while the core weakens.
Colin is becoming embedded in the mid-latitude westerlies (winds) and is expected to be extra-tropical late on January 15.
Text credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
[image-94][image-110]Jan. 14, 2014 - NASA Sees Tropical Cyclone Colin Coming "Unwound"
Tropical Cyclone Colin is not as tightly wrapped as it was a day ago. Satellite imagery from NASA's Aqua and TRMM satellites show Colin is not as organized as it was, and most of the strongest precipitation was occurring on the southern side of the storm and waning.
On January 14, 2014 at 0900 UTC, Colin had maximum sustained winds near 40 knots/46.0 mph/74.0 kph. It was far from land, and centered 1,171 nautical miles/1,348 miles/2,169 km from Diego Garcia near 26.7 south and 73.3 east. Colin was moving to the south at 9 knots/10.3 mph/16.67 kph.
NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Colin at 0840 UTC/3:40 a.m. EST on January 14 and obtained a visible look at the clouds and structure of the storm. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer known and MODIS captured the image that showed thinning clouds in all quadrants except the southern quadrant where TRMM confirmed the heaviest rainfall was occurring almost five hours later when it passed overhead.
NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's TRMM satellite or Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, flew over Colin on January 14 at 1327 UTC/8:27 a.m. EST and measured rainfall in the storm. TRMM found that light rain surrounded the tropical cyclone with the exception of moderate to heavy rain in the southern quadrant.
According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, animated multispectral satellite imagery showed that the low-level center of circulation was exposed and after the TRMM overpass, convection has waned more, leaving almost no strong convection in the tropical cyclone. Satellite data showed that the overall low-level structure was becoming less tightly wrapped.
Colin continues to head into cooler sea surface temperatures which will continue to weaken the storm as it is expected to become a cold-core low pressure area. Vertical wind shear is also increasing, so Colin's end is likely in the next couple of days.
Text credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
[image-78]January 13, 2014 - NASA Adds Up Tropical Cyclone Colin's Rainfall Rates
Tropical Cyclone Colin continued moving through the Southern Indian Ocean on January 13 while NASA's TRMM satellite passed overhead and calculated the rates in which rain was falling throughout the storm.
The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite is managed by NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. TRMMM captured an image of rainfall rates occurring in Colin on Jan. 13 at 0753 UTC/2:53 a.m. EST. TRMM Precipitation Radar showed that the bulk of Colin's rainfall was west and south of the center and there were some isolated areas where rain was falling at a rate of up to 2 inches/50 mm per hour.
Tropical Cyclone Colin is the eighth tropical cyclone in the Southern Indian Ocean cyclone season this year. It also has a separate designation from La Reunion Island, where it is known as "06/2013/2014."
At 0900 UTC/4 a.m. EST on Jan. 13, Colin's maximum sustained winds were near 80 knots/148.2 kph/92.0 mph. Colin was located about 938 nautical miles/1,079 miles/1,737 km south of Diego Garcia, near 23.1 south and 75.0 east. Colin is moving to the south-southeast at 14 knots/16.1 mph/25.9 kph and over cooler sea surface temperatures that will cause it to weaken.
In addition to cooler sea surface temperatures, vertical wind shear is increasing as Colin tracks further south-southeast. Colin is expected to become extra-tropical in the next couple of days.
Text credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
[image-51]January 10, 2014 - NASA Sees Heavy Rain in Newborn Tropical Cyclone Colin's Center
The TRMM satellite passed over newborn Tropical Cyclone Colin in the Southern Indian Ocean today, January 10 and spotted heavy rain falling near the intensifying storm's center.
On January 10,2014 at 0724 UTC/2:24 a.m. EST the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite known as TRMM passed directly above tropical cyclone Colin in the Southern Indian Ocean.
At NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. rainfall data derived from TRMM's Precipitation Radar (PR) and Microwave Imager (TMI) was overlaid on visible/infrared images from the Visible and InfraRed Scanner (VIRS). TRMM PR found Tropical Cyclone Colin contained precipitation falling at the amazing rate of over 224 mm/8.8 inches per hour near the powerful tropical cyclone's eye. The TRMM satellite is co-managed by NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
On January 10, 2014 at 0900 UTC/4 a.m. EST, Tropical Cyclone Colin, the eighth tropical cyclone in the Southern Indian Ocean was about 737 nautical miles/848 miles/1,365 km east-southeast of Diego Garcia near 12.5 south and 83.7 east. Colin is also known as "Cyclone 06/2013/2014" on La Reunion Island. Colin is moving to the west-southwest at 13 knots/14.9 mph/24.0 kph and has maximum sustained winds near 35 knots/40 mph/62 kph. Colin is expected to reach hurricane strength over the next several days before weakening.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center, the forecast organization that covers the Southern Indian Ocean, noted that Colin is expected to track over open waters, heading west and later turning to the southwest while intensifying.
Text credit: Hal Pierce/Rob Gutro
SSAI/NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
