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March 1, 2012 - Tropical Cyclone Irina (14S) over Madagascar
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In what has become an all-too common occurrence in the first two months of 2012, a strengthening Tropical Cyclone stretched across the warm waters of the Mozambique Channel, bringing rain and winds to Mozambique and Madagascar. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of Tropical Cyclone Irina at 11:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. local time) on February 29, 2012.
Before Irina, Tropical Cyclone Funso, the first Tropical Cyclone to affect Mozambique since Jokwe in 2008, led the way into the Channel, forming on January 19, 2012 and dissipating January 29, 2012. Intense Tropical Cyclone Giovanno followed, forming on February 9 and, after making landfall on Madagascar and killing at least 31 people, dissipated east of Madagascar on February 21.
Irina began as a tropical depression near the Seychelles on 25 February, and tracked across northern Madagascar this week as a soaking low pressure area. Named System 92S, it strengthened into Cyclone Irina off Cape St Andre, Madagascar. Now in the warm waters of the Mozambique Channel (the body of water between the island nation of Madagascar to the east and Mozambique to the west), Irina is strengthening as it tracks southwestward.
At 15:00 UTC (6 p.m. local time) on February 29, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued a tropical cyclone warning for Irina. At that time, the storm was located approximately 225 nautical miles west-northwest of Antananariva, Madagascar and was tracking southwestward at 4 knots (5 mph) with one-minute sustained winds of 60 knots (69 mph, 111 kph). Tropical Cyclone Irina is rapidly intensifying, as it had increasing from 35 knots to 60 knots in the past 12 hours. Conditions are favorable for further strengthening, and Irina is predicted to peak as a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 90 knots (104 mph, 167 kph) in about 36 hours.
While the track is somewhat uncertain, current maps forecast Tropical Cyclone Irina will continue to move to the southwest towards southern Mozambique, potentially making landfall north of Maputo on March 3. The storm is already posing a hazard to shipping off the Madagascar coast, with wave heights to 12 feet (3.7 m). The storm will bring heavy rains, storm surges and flooding to a region already battered by a windy and wet year.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 2/29/2012
Resolutions:
1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
In what has become an all-too common occurrence in the first two months of 2012, a strengthening Tropical Cyclone stretched across the warm waters of the Mozambique Channel, bringing rain and winds to Mozambique and Madagascar. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of Tropical Cyclone Irina at 11:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. local time) on February 29, 2012.
Before Irina, Tropical Cyclone Funso, the first Tropical Cyclone to affect Mozambique since Jokwe in 2008, led the way into the Channel, forming on January 19, 2012 and dissipating January 29, 2012. Intense Tropical Cyclone Giovanno followed, forming on February 9 and, after making landfall on Madagascar and killing at least 31 people, dissipated east of Madagascar on February 21.
Irina began as a tropical depression near the Seychelles on 25 February, and tracked across northern Madagascar this week as a soaking low pressure area. Named System 92S, it strengthened into Cyclone Irina off Cape St Andre, Madagascar. Now in the warm waters of the Mozambique Channel (the body of water between the island nation of Madagascar to the east and Mozambique to the west), Irina is strengthening as it tracks southwestward.
At 15:00 UTC (6 p.m. local time) on February 29, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued a tropical cyclone warning for Irina. At that time, the storm was located approximately 225 nautical miles west-northwest of Antananariva, Madagascar and was tracking southwestward at 4 knots (5 mph) with one-minute sustained winds of 60 knots (69 mph, 111 kph). Tropical Cyclone Irina is rapidly intensifying, as it had increasing from 35 knots to 60 knots in the past 12 hours. Conditions are favorable for further strengthening, and Irina is predicted to peak as a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 90 knots (104 mph, 167 kph) in about 36 hours.
While the track is somewhat uncertain, current maps forecast Tropical Cyclone Irina will continue to move to the southwest towards southern Mozambique, potentially making landfall north of Maputo on March 3. The storm is already posing a hazard to shipping off the Madagascar coast, with wave heights to 12 feet (3.7 m). The storm will bring heavy rains, storm surges and flooding to a region already battered by a windy and wet year.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 2/29/2012
Resolutions:
1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
