image: On August 14 at 2:24 a.m. EDT (0624 UTC) the VIIRS instrument aboard NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured a visible image of Tropical Storm Bebinca near Hainan Island, China. view more
Credit: Credits: NOAA/NASA/NRL
China's Hainan Island can't seem to get away from slow moving Tropical Storm Bebinca. The storm continues to linger near the island on Aug. 14 as seen when NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed overhead and captured a visible image of the storm in Aug. 14. In fact, Hainan Island is expected to get another visit from the storm.
On August 14 at 2:24 a.m. EDT (0624 UTC) the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured visible image of Bebinca. The VIIRS image showed the storm had moved southeast from its previous location over southern China, and into the South China Sea, while remaining near Hainan Island. The VIIRS image revealed a band of thunderstorms from Bebinca's western quadrant was affecting Hainan Island at the time.
On August 14 at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC), the Joint Typhoon Warning Center or JTWC noted that Tropical Storm Bebinca was located near 21.0 degrees north latitude and 113.5 degrees east longitude, about 87 nautical miles south-southwest of Hong Kong, China. Bebinca had maintained maximum sustained winds near 35 knots (40 mph/62 kph). Bebinca is now moving west.
On Aug. 14, The Hong Kong Observatory posted a warning of a Strong wind signal #3.
The JTWC's forecast track takes Bebinca west, again affecting all of Hainan Island and into the Gulf of Tonkin. Bebinca is expected to make landfall in northern Vietnam at the same strength.
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