NASA Satellite Image Shows Larger Area of Strength in Tropical Storm Nanmadol

NASA's Aqua satellite provided infrared imagery of the newly intensified Tropical Storm Nanmadol, formerly Tropical Depression 14W.

Infrared imagery from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite on August 24 at 04:59 UTC (12:50 p.m. EDT) revealed that area of strong thunderstorms in Tropical storm Nanmadol has grown significantly since August 23. The cloud top temperatures have cooled, and are colder than -63 Fahrenheit (-52 Celsius) indicating strengthening in uplift and power behind the tropical cyclone. Bands of thunderstorms have improved around the storm, and infrared imagery indicates that Nanmadol has consolidated between 11 p.m. (EDT) on August 23 and 11 a.m. (EDT) on August 24.

On August 24 at 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT), Maximum sustained winds were near 60 knots Nanmadol is located about 625 nautical miles south of Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa, near 16.1 North and 126.5 East. It has tracked west-southwestward at 2 knots (3 mph) and appears to be slowing to being almost stationary.

Nanmadol's center is still far to the east of the Philippines, however the westernmost clouds have spread over Luzon as the storm meanders in the Philippine Sea. Nanmadol is expected to change direction and begin moving to the north-northwest and away from Luzon on August 25.

Text Credit: Rob Gutro, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.