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Hurricane Season 2010: Hurricane Celia (Eastern Pacific Ocean)
06.29.10
 
June 29, 2010

GOES-11 captured a visible image of Celia's remnants on June 29 &rsaquo View larger image
The GOES-11 image at 1245 UTC (8:45 a.m. EDT) on June 29 showed Celia's remnants (lower left) as a light swirl in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Credit: NASA GOES Project GOES Sees Celia's Remnants a Shadow of Her Former Self

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-11 captured a visible image of Celia's remnants on June 29 at 8:45 a.m. EDT revealing it to be a light swirl of clouds in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

GOES-11 was launched by NASA and is now operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NASA's GOES Project at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. created the latest satellite image that showed a very weak Celia.

Celia's remnant low pressure area had maximum sustained winds between 20 and 25 knots (23-28 mph) at 8:45 a.m. EDT this morning. Celia is quasi-stationary and is sitting near 15.5 north latitude and 123.5 west longitude in the open waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Estimated minimum central pressure is 1007 millibars.

Showers were occurring this morning within 60 nautical miles over the eastern semicircle and within 120 nautical miles over the western semicircle. Celia is expected to gradually spin down and open into trough (an extended area of low pressure) by the end of the week. Tropically speaking, Celia is history.

Text credit: Rob Gutro/NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center


June 28, 2010

An infrared image of Darby (right) and Celia (left) from NASA's Aqua satellite AIRS instrument was captured on June 27 &rsaquo View larger image
This infrared image of Darby (right) and Celia (left) from NASA's Aqua satellite AIRS instrument was captured on June 27 at 0853 UTC (4:53 a.m. EDT) showed a very small center of remaining strong convection (purple) and thunderstorms in Darby's center and no strong convection in Celia's center.
Credit: NASA JPL, Ed Olsen Celia and Darby are Now Both Weakening Tropical Storms

The Eastern Pacific twins, Darby and Celia were once both major hurricanes and today are just barely hanging on to tropical storm status. Both are forecast to continue weakening over the next day or two.

Celia is spinning farthest away from land in the Eastern Pacific and seems to be sitting still. At 5 a.m. EDT on Monday, June 28, Celia was located about 1070 miles (1720 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. Celia is virtually stationary, moving only 2 mph (4 km/hr) to the southwest. Celia's maximum sustained winds were near 40 mph, but she expected to weaken and become a remnant low pressure area over the next day or two. Minimum central pressure is 1005 millibars.

Tropical Storm Darby is closer to the western Mexico coast, about 240 miles (390 km) south of Zihuatanejo, Mexico, near 14.2 North and 101.4 West. Darby's maximum sustained winds were also near 40 mph, but like Celia, Darby is expected to weaken to a remnant low pressure area by sometime on Tuesday. Darby is moving east-northeast toward the Mexican coast at 6 mph (9 km/hr) although no watches or warnings are posted for this storm. Current minimum central pressure is 1004 millibars.

NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Celia and Darby on June 25, and NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument captured visible images of each storm. The MODIS team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. created a mosaic of images from that data, and they can be found at: http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2010176-0625/CeliaDarby.A2010176.2140.

By Wednesday, the tropical twins should both be remnant low pressure areas in the Eastern Pacific.

Text credit: Rob Gutro/NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center


June 25, 2010

AIRS satellite captures Hurricane Celia &rsaquo View larger image
AIRS noticed that Celia has a very large area of them where clouds are so very high in the troposphere (to the tropopause) that they're as cold as -94 to -112 (-75 to -80 Celsius) Fahrenheit!
Credit: NASA Goddard/MODIS Rapid Response Team
The MODIS instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite captures Hurricane Celia &rsaquo View larger image
The Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite captured this visible image of Hurricane Celia on June 24 at 20:55 UTC (4:55 p.m. EDT).
Credit: NASA Goddard/MODIS Rapid Response Team NASA Infrared Imagery Shows Well-Defined Eye in Category 5 Celia!

Celia has exploded into a monster hurricane in the Eastern Pacific, and is now a Category 5 storm over open waters. NASA's Aqua satellite captured an infrared image (that shows temperature) of Celia's clouds and clearly shows an eye in the storm. Celia's eye appears well-defined and is between 15-20 nautical miles wide.

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder, or AIRS instrument provides infrared imagery of cloud tops and sea surface temperatures, two things that are important to tropical cyclones. High, cold cloud tops indicate strong thunderstorms around a tropical cyclone's center. AIRS imagery on June 25 noticed that Celia had a very large area of high, icy cold clouds that are so very high in the troposphere (to the tropopause) that they're as cold as -94 to -112 (-75 to -80 Celsius) Fahrenheit! The National Hurricane Center called Celia a "very impressive hurricane" this morning.

Warm sea surface temperatures are also critical for a tropical cyclone's development, and AIRS infrared imagery is able to read those temperatures from space, too. AIRS imagery taken on Friday, July 25 at 9:05 UTC (5:05 a.m. EDT) showed that the sea surface temperatures around Celia were over the 80 degree Fahrenheit threshold needed to continue powering tropical cyclones. As Celia continues to move west-northwestward, however, those waters will become cooler and they are expected to weaken Celia.

At 5 a.m. EDT (2 a.m. PDT) on Friday, June 25, powerful Category Five Hurricane Celia was packing maximum sustained winds near 160 mph (260 km/hr). Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 50 miles (85 km) from the center...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 140 miles (220 km). Celia's center was located about 805 nautical miles southwest of the southern tip of Baja California, near 13.4 North and 117.0 West. Celia's minimum central pressure is 926 millibars, and she is moving west-northwest near 13 mph (20 km/hr).

The cooler waters that lie in Celia's path are expected to quickly help weaken the storm. The National Hurricane Center expects Celia to be downgraded to tropical storm strength late on Sunday, June 27.

Text credit: Rob Gutro/NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center


June 24, 2010

The GOES-13 satellite image from June 23 captured Hurricane Celia. &rsaquo View larger image
This GOES-13 satellite image from June 23 captured Hurricane Celia (left) and Tropical Storm Darby (right) and sunglint (in the western Caribbean Sea).
Credit: NASA GOES Project Celia Now in the Major Leagues: a Category Three Hurricane

Tropically speaking Celia is in the Major Leagues. She's now a Category Three hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale and classified as the Eastern Pacific's first major hurricane. That's quite a "batting average" for also being that season's first hurricane. The other storms that formed before her in the Eastern Pacific didn't make it to hurricane status.

Both Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, GOES-11 (west) and GOES-13 (east) captured visible images of Hurricane Celia and Tropical Storm Darby in the Eastern Pacific on June 23, and Celia's eye was visible in them.

At 8 a.m. PDT (11 a.m. EDT) on June 24, Hurricane Celia's maximum sustained winds were near 115 mph (185 km/hr) with higher gusts. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 30 miles (45 km) from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 115 miles (185 km).

She was located in the open waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean near latitude 12.5 north and longitude 113.9 west. Minimum central pressure is 962 millibars. Celia is moving toward the west near 13 mph (20 km/hr) and a turn toward the west-northwest is expected over the next couple of days. Some additional strengthening is possible later today, followed by gradual weakening on Friday.

Celia's eye has appeared to be "blinking" over the last couple of days because it has been visible in some satellite imagery, then not visible. This morning, June 24, satellite imagery sees the open eye again.

Although the upper level winds appear favorable to keep Celia going, she's moving into cooler sea surface temperatures near 26-27 Celsius (78-80 Fahrenheit) and cooler as she continues tracking farther into open waters. Tropical cyclones require sea surface temperatures at least near 80 degrees Fahrenheit to maintain their intensity, so Celia will start weakening soon because one of her "power sources" (warm water) will be removed. Those cooler waters will send Celia back into the "minor leagues" by the weekend.

Text credit: Rob Gutro/NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center


June 23, 2010

Satellite image of Celia produced by the NASA GOES project. &rsaquo View larger image
The GOES-11 satellite captured an image of Celia on June 23 at 8 a.m. EDT that shows the hurricane now has an eye. Located to the east of Celia on the far right of this image is the newly formed Tropical Storm Darby.
Credit: NASA GOES Project
MODIS image of Hurricane Celia. &rsaquo View larger image
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of Celia on June 21 that did not show an eye.
Credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team NASA Satellites See Hurricane Celia Strengthen and Open an Eye

Hurricane Celia dropped to a Category One hurricane during the late afternoon hours on June 22, and today, June 23 by 11 a.m. EDT, it had powered back up to a Category Two hurricane in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Satellite imagery confirmed the strengthening visibly with the emergence of an eye in the hurricane.

Celia's maximum sustained winds were up to 100 mph at 11 a.m. EDT on June 23. That's a jump from the 80 mph maximum sustained winds it had just six hours earlier. Celia's hurricane force winds extend outward up to 30 miles (45 km) from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 105 miles (165 km). Imagery taken this morning at 8 a.m. EDT from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite known as GOES-11 revealed that Celia has an eye. The image also showed the newly formed Tropical Storm Darby to the east of Celia. The satellite image was created by NASA's GOES Project, located at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. GOES-11 is operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Two days ago on Monday, June 21, NASA's Aqua satellite flew over Celia and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument captured a true-color image of Celia that did not show an eye.

Currently, Celia is far from Mexico, some 740 miles south of the southern tip of Baja California, near 12.2 North latitude and 109.2 West longitude. Celia is moving west near 12 mph (19 km/hr) and has a minimum central pressure near 974 millibars. Celia is expected to turn toward the west-northwest in the next day or two and possibly strengthen.

Vertical wind shear is decreasing which has enabled Celia to strengthen. The National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla. forecasts wind shear near Celia to continue weakening as low or lower than 6 mph (5 knots), which will enable Celia to strengthen a little more over the next 24 to 36 hours. However, Celia will also track into cooler waters, which will limit it's ability to power up, and as it continues west-northwest, it will begin weakening.

Text credit: Rob Gutro/NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center


June 22, 2010

Tropical Storm Celia as seen by TRMM > View larger image
The TRMM satellite revealed moderate rainfall (green) around the center of Hurricane Celia on June 21 at 1753 UTC (1:53 p.m. EDT).
Credit: NASA TRMM, Hal Pierce
Tropical Storm Celia as seen by TRMM > View larger image
This 3-D image of Celia was created from data on June 20 at 0400 UTC (12 a.m. EDT) that showed powerful thunderstorms in the southwest quadrant of the storm pushed to heights of almost 9.32 miles (15 kilometers) shown in red, with moderate to heavy rainfall.
Credit: NASA TRMM, Hal Pierce NASA's TRMM Satellite Sees Hurricane Celia's Moderate Rainfall

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite known as TRMM has been monitoring the rainfall rates in Hurricane Celia, and noticed rain is falling moderately as the storm continues to strengthen.

At 5 a.m. EDT on June 22, Hurricane Celia had maximum sustained winds near 105 miles per hour. That makes Celia a category two storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale. National Hurricane Center forecasters noted that Celia could become a major hurricane (Category Three) in the next two days.

Celia's hurricane force winds extend outward up to 25 miles (35 km) from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 90 miles (150 km).

Celia's center was located near 11.8 North latitude and 104.7 West longitude. That's about 500 miles south of Manzanillo, Mexico. Celia is moving toward the west near 8 mph (13 km/hr) and this general motion is expected to continue for the next 48 hours. Celia's estimated minimum central pressure is 970 millibars.

The TRMM satellite revealed moderate rainfall around the center of Hurricane Celia on June 21 at 1753 UTC (1:53 p.m. EDT). On June 20, as Celia was strengthening as a tropical storm, TRMM captured data that showed powerful thunderstorms in the southwest quadrant of the storm. The tops of those thunderstorms pushed to heights of almost 9.32 miles (15 kilometers). TRMM is managed by both NASA and the Japanese Space Agency, JAXA.

Infrared imagery from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-11, did not see an eye this morning (June 22) although images from a polar orbiting satellite did see a small eye just after 0000 UTC (8 p.m. EDT) on June 21.

The east-southeasterly wind shear that is currently affecting Celia is forecast to relax. That will give Celia the ability to strengthen in the next 24 hours, thus, the possibility that Celia could reach Category Three strength.

Text credit: Rob Gutro/NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center


June 21, 2010

MODIS image of Blas and Celia > View larger image
On June 19 at 17:30 UTC (1:30 p.m. EDT) the MODIS instrument on NASA's Terra satellite captured this visible image of Tropical Storm Blas (left) and the newly developed Tropical Storm Celia (right).
Credit: NASA Goddard/MODIS Rapid Response Team
AIRS image of Blas and Celia > View larger image
On June 20 at 08:47 UTC (4:47 a.m. EDT), the AIRS instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite captured this infrared image of both Tropical Storm Blas (left) and Celia (right). The purple area represents more powerful convection and thunderstorms. Blas has less and Celia has more, which indicates Blas' weakening and Celia strengthening.
Credit: NASA JPL, Ed Olsen NASA's Aqua and Terra Satellites View Tropical Storms Blas and Celia

Tropical cyclones Blas and Celia are both spinning in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, and two NASA satellites captured them in visible and infrared imagery.

On June 19 at 17:30 UTC (1:30 p.m. EDT) the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on NASA's Terra satellite captured a visible image of Blas when it was still a tropical storm and the newly developed Tropical Storm Celia. Celia formed on June 19 and by 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT) had strengthened into a tropical storm. The storm was "born" about 355 miles south-southeast of Acapulco, Mexico, near 12.5 North and 97.1 West.

The following day, June 20 at 08:47 UTC (4:47 a.m. EDT), the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite captured an infrared image of both Tropical Storm Blas and Celia. The infrared image measured the temperature of each cyclone's clouds, and the warm ocean waters that surround them.

The AIRS infrared image revealed that the convection in Blas was waning and the areas of strong convection (rapidly rising air that condenses and forms the thunderstorms that make up a tropical cyclone) were less than they were the day before.

Convection in Celia had increased and AIRS imagery revealed a larger area of strong convection than on June 19. The imagery showed very cold thunderstorm cloud tops (as cold as or colder than -63 degrees Fahrenheit). That increased area of high, cold thunderstorm cloud tops indicated that Celia was strengthening.

By the morning of June 21 (EDT), Blas had weakened further and is now a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds near 35 mph. Blas is located about 575 miles southwest of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, near 18.0 North and 117.1 West. Blas continues to move west around 12 mph (11 knots) further into open waters. Blas is forecast to dissipate sometime on June 22.

Meanwhile, Celia has continued to strengthen and is now a hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 80 mph (70 knots). Tropical-storm force winds extend out to 70 miles from the center, making the storm about 140 miles in diameter. Hurricane-force winds only extend out to 15 miles from Celia's center. Celia is located about 380 miles south-southwest of Acapulco, Mexico near 11.8 North and 102.1 West. She's moving west at 9 mph (8 knots). Celia is no threat to land and will continue to move west, then west-northwest, farther away from land.

Text credit: Rob Gutro/NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
 
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