image: NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Tropical Storm Enrique (top center) on July 15 at 10:55 UTC (6:55 a.m. EDT) and saw warmer cloud tops and cooler sea surface temperatures. view more
Credit: NASA JPL, Ed Olsen
Tropical cyclones need sea surface temperatures of at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26.6 Celsius) to maintain strength, and a new infrared image from NASA's Aqua satellite shows that Tropical Storm Enrique has moved into an area where temperatures are under that threshold.
NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Tropical Storm Enrique on July 15 at 10:55 UTC (6:55 a.m. EDT) and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument aboard gathered infrared data on the storm's clouds and surrounding sea surface temperatures. AIRS found that cloud top temperatures had warmed indicating less uplift in the system and weakening. Conversely, AIRS also found that the sea surface temperatures were near 77 Fahrenheit (25 Celsius). The infrared image was created at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California and false-colored to show temperatures.
At 11 a.m. EDT /8 a.m. PDT (1500 UTC) on July 15 the center of Tropical Storm Enrique was located near latitude 19.0 North, longitude 132.9 West. About 1,505 miles (2,425 km) west of the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico. Enrique was moving toward the west-northwest near 8 mph (13 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue until dissipation in a couple of days. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 45 mph (75 kph) with higher gusts.
The National Hurricane Center noted that Enrique has reached cooler waters and weakening is anticipated over the next two days.
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