NASA Image Sees Eye in Deadly Typhoon Wutip on Landfall Approach [image-94]
NASA's Terra satellite passed over Typhoon Wutip on its approach to a landfall in Vietnam and a visible image revealed its 10-mile-wide eye, and large extent. Wutip was making landfall near Dong Hoi Vietnam around 0900 UTC/5 a.m. EDT.
On Sept. 30 at 03:35 UTC/Sept. 29 at 11:35 p.m. EDT, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA's Terra satellite took a visible image of Typhoon Wutip, clearly showing its eye. At that time, Wutip was still approaching landfall in Vietnam and the heaviest rainfall and strongest thunderstorms appeared on the western and southern sides of the storm. Thunderstorms in the northwestern quadrant of the storm appeared weaker as a result of moving over China's Hainan Island.
According to the International Business Times, officials in the coast areas of China's Quang Tri province evacuated more than 8,000 people. Vietnamese officials are planned to evacuate more than 140,000 people. IBT reported more than 75 people were missing from the storm.
On Monday, Sept. 30 at 0900 UTC/5 a.m. EDT, Wutip's center was near 17.6 north and 106.8 east, or 101 nautical miles north of Da Nang, (near Dong Hoi, Vietnam) as it began making landfall. Wutip was moving to the west-northwest near 10 knots/11.5 mph/18.5 kph, and had maximum sustained winds near 90 knots/103.6 mph/166.7 kph. Rainfall will stretch from China to Cambodia.
For updates and more information from Vietnam's National Centre for Hyrdop-meteorological Service, go to: http://www.nchmf.gov.vn/web/en-US/104/102/19028/Default.aspx.
Wutip's heavy rains are expected to cause flooding and landslides as it moves over Vietnam's central highlands and mountainous region. After landfall, Wutip is expected to dissipate over land in Vietnam and Laos within the next day or so because of the friction it will encounter from the rough terrain. Wutip is the tenth storm to impact Vietnam this year.
Text credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Sept. 27, 2013 - Satellite Sees Wutip in North Pacific Ocean: a New Tropical Storm [image-51][image-78]
Tropical Storm Wutip formed in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean today after being born on yesterday, Sept. 26 as Tropical Depression 20W. NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the tropical cyclone as it was intensifying and saw banding of thunderstorms circling the storm.
When NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Wutip in the South China Sea on Sept. 26 at 17:35 UTC/1:35 p.m. EDT, it was still tropical depression 20W. Infrared data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument that flies aboard Aqua showed bands of thunderstorms were surrounding the center of circulation, mostly to the southeast of the center. AIRS infrared satellite data showed fragmented bands of thunderstorms shifted to the northern side of the storm on Sept. 27 at 0605 UTC/2:05 a.m. EDT.
Tropical Storm Wutip had maximum sustained winds near 35 knots/40.2 mph/64.8 kph on Sept. 27 at 1500 UTC/11 a.m. EDT. It was centered near 16.9 north and 116.4 east, in the South China Sea. Tropical Storm 20W was also about 407 nautical miles/468.4 miles/753.8 km east of Da Nang, Vietnam and moving to the west at 11 knots/12.6 mph/20.3 kph.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center or JTWC noted that warm waters in the South China Sea and low wind shear will allow Tropical Storm Wutip to intensify steadily over the next couple of days. JTWC expects Wutip to strengthen to up to 70 knots/80.5 mph/129.6 kph by Sept. 29 before crossing the Gulf of Tonkin.
Wutip is expected to zigzag in a westerly direction over the next couple of days when it is expected to make landfall in central Vietnam early next week around Sept. 30.
Text credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
