News Release

NASA's Aqua satellite sees Tropical Depression Calvin soak Mexico

Peer-Reviewed Publication

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Aqua Image of Calvin

image: On June 12, NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible-light image of Tropical Depression 3E that showed a band of thunderstorms wrapping about halfway around the southern portion of the circulation. view more 

Credit: Credits: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response

Tropical Depression 3E briefly strengthened into a tropical storm and was renamed Calvin before it made landfall in southwestern Mexico. NASA's Aqua satellite captured a look at the depression just prior to its classification as a tropical storm.

On June 12, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible-light image of the storm that enabled forecasters to see Calvin became more organized. Aqua passed over Calvin at 20:00 UTC (4 p.m. EDT). The MODIS image showed a band of thunderstorms wrapping about halfway around the southern portion of the circulation.

At 5 p.m. EDT the National Hurricane Center or NHC noted that Calvin strengthened into the third tropical storm of the Eastern Pacific Ocean hurricane season.

Around 8 p.m. EDT, Calvin was making landfall about 50 miles (80 km) east-northeast of Puerto Angel, Mexico. By 11 p.m. EDT on June 12, Calvin's center was over land. Three hours later, on June 13 at 2 a.m. EDT, Calvin weakened to a depression. Calvin continues to move over land in a northwesterly direction bringing heavy rain and creating flooding.

The Government of Mexico has discontinued the Tropical Storm Warning along the Pacific coast of Mexico.

At 5 a.m. EDT (0900 UTC), the center of Tropical Depression Calvin was located near latitude 16.3 North, longitude 96.3 West. That's about 45 miles (70 km) north-northeast of Puerto Angel Mexico. Calvin was moving toward the west-northwest near 6 mph (9 kph) and NHC forecasters expect that motion to continue on June 13. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 30 mph (45 kph). The estimated minimum central pressure is 1007 millibars.

The National Hurricane Center noted that "Calvin is expected to cause flash floods and mudslides in the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Guerrero, Chiapas, Tabasco and Veracruz through midweek." Calvin is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 6 to 12 inches across the Mexican states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Veracruz, with possible isolated maximum amounts of 20 inches. Calvin is also forecast to produce total rain accumulations of 3 to 6 inches in the Mexican states of Tabasco, Morelos, Mexico, and Michoaca, as well as in Guatemala.

Additional weakening is forecast, and Calvin is expected to dissipate over the mountainous terrain of southern Mexico later today, June 13.

For updated forecasts, visit the NHC website: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

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