image: On March 12, the VIIRS instrument aboard NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured this image of the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Gillian in the Gulf of Carpentaria. view more
Credit: NRL/NASA/NOAA
Tropical Cyclone Gillian made landfall on the western Cape York Peninsula of Queensland, Australia, weakened and has now meandered back over water. On March 12, NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured an image of the remnants in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria.
On March 12 at 0600 UTC/2 a.m. EST, the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Gillian were located near 16.0 south and 141.1 east, about 115 nautical miles/ 132.3 miles/213 km east-northeast of Mornington Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria. According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center or JTWC maximum sustained surface winds were estimated between 15 to 20 knots/17.2 to 23.0 mph/27.7 to 37.0 kph. Minimum sea level pressure is estimated to be near 1008 millibars.
NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed over the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Gillian on March 12 and the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite or VIIRS instrument aboard captured a high-resolution visible image of the storm. Satellite imagery indicated that the low-level center of circulation appeared elongated.
VIIRS is a scanning radiometer that collects visible and infrared imagery and radiometric measurements. VIIRS data is used to measure cloud and aerosol properties, ocean color, sea and land surface temperature, ice motion and temperature, fires, and Earth's albedo.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center noted that animated multispectral satellite imagery on March 13 showed that the low-level circulation center of the low pressure area was weak, and that there was isolated deep convection northeast of the center, indicative of wind shear.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (ABM) noted that Gillian's remnants were moving slowly west over the southern Gulf of Carpentaria. The low is expected to continue moving west on Thursday, March 13 before moving northwest across the Gulf of Carpentaria on Friday, March 14. For ABM updated watches and warnings, visit: http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center noted that Gillian has a low chance for becoming a significant tropical cyclone within the next day.