image: The VIIRS instrument aboard NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured this visible image of Typhoon Rammasun on July 14 at 04:20 UTC. view more
Credit: Image Credit: NRL/NASA/NOAA
NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP Satellite passed over Typhoon Rammasun early on July 14 and captured a visible image of the storm that showed large bands of thunderstorms wrapping into the center as it approached the central Philippines.
When NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed over Rammasun on July 14 at 04:20 UTC, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard took a visible image of the storm. The VIIRS instrument showed large, thick bands of powerful thunderstorms wrapping into the low-level center of circulation. The largest band extended from the western to southern and around to the eastern quadrants of the storm before spiraling into the center. Powerful thunderstorms also surrounded the tightly wound eye.
VIIRS collects visible and infrared imagery and global observations of land, atmosphere, cryosphere and oceans. VIIRS flies aboard the Suomi NPP satellite, which is managed by both NASA and NOAA.
Forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center noted on July 14 that Rammasun had slowed in forward movement and continued to consolidate as convection (rising air that forms the thunderstorms that make up the tropical cyclone) has further strengthened and the storm has developed an irregular eye about 15 nautical miles wide. Microwave satellite imagery showed the storm had strengthened as the eyewall (the powerful thunderstorms around the open eye) became more developed.
On July 14 at 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT), Typhoon Rammasun had maximum sustained winds near 75 knots. Rammasun was moving to the west-southwestward at 10 knots. It was centered near 12.7 north latitude and 127.6 east longitude, about 435 nautical miles southeast of Manila, and closing in on the central Visayas region of the Philippines.
Typhoon Rammasun is expected to make landfall in the eastern Visayas region of the Philippines around July 15 at 0000 UTC (July 14 at 8 p.m. EDT). On July 13, Public storm warning signal #1 was in force in the following Luzon provinces: Camarines Norte & Sur, Catanduanes, Albay and Sorsogon, and Public storm warning signal #1 was in force in the Visayas province of Northern Samar.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center expects Rammasun to move across the central and northern Philippines in a northwesterly direction crossing near Manila around July 16 at 0000 UTC (July 15 at 8 p.m. EDT), then moving into the South China Sea for another landfall in mainland China, just north of Hainan Island late on July 18 as a typhoon.