Hurricane Season 2010: System 90W (South China Sea/NW Pacific Ocean)

Infrared NASA satellite imagery and data from other satellites are showing that the low-level center of System 90W is organizing and consolidating as it nears a landfall in Vietnam.

NASA's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument captured an image of System 90W on Nov. 4 at 0617 UTC (2:17 a.m. EDT) in the South China Sea. The image showed that deep convection and banding of thunderstorms are happening over the western semi-circle of the storm. At 8 a.m. EDT on Nov. 4, the western side of the storm is already moving over land. At that time, the airport at Quy Nhon, Vietnam was reporting light rain with 7 mph winds from the west-northwest. Farther north at Da Nang VS Airport, winds were stronger at 17 mph from the north, and a light rain and mist were reported.

In a satellite image captured on Nov. 3 at 1643 UTC (12:43 p.m. EDT) from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite, data showed that the low-level center of circulation was defined, and banding of thunderstorms wrapped into the storm from the southwestern quadrant.

Early on Nov. 4, System 90W was about 75 nautical miles east of the Vietnam coast and moving slowly westward. Minimum central pressure is near 1005 millibars. Because of its slow westward movement it has more opportunity to organize into a tropical depression before it makes landfall.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center noted that this system has a good chance of becoming a tropical depression before making landfall.

Text Credit: Rob Gutro

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD