May 7, 2015 - Tropical Storm Noul (06W) in the western Pacific Ocean

Tropical Storm Noul (06W) in the western Pacific Ocean

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of Tropical Storm Noul (06W) spinning up in the western Pacific Ocean on May 5, 2015.

At the time this image was captured, Noul had a cloud-filled center and was threatening Yap Island, which is located in the Caroline Islands, part of the Federated States of Micronesia. The storm was sporting maximum sustained winds of about 63 mph (101 km/h), with gusts of 80.5 mph (130 km/h). Tropical Storm Noul was located 22 m (35 km) south-southwest of Ulithi (one of the outer islands of the State of Yap) and was moving west at 2 knots per hour.

By late on May 6, Tropical Storm Noul had pulled away from Yap, where it dropped up to 10 inches of rain, and was heading on a west-northwesterly course towards the Philippines. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JWTC) is predicting a steadily strengthening trend until May 10, when maximum sustained winds are predicted to reach 132 mph (212 km/h). This would make it a Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

According to JWTC graphics published on May 6, Noul is predicted to track towards the northern Philippines as it strengths, with the track moving over or just north of the islands on May 10. It is then expected to turn towards the north, heading towards Taipei, as it begins to weaken.

Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 5/5/2015
Resolutions: 1km (939.9 KB), 500m (3.1 MB), 250m (7.2 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC