Two Dangerous Storms in the Pacific Ocean: Lupit and Rick

Powerful tropical cyclones have developed recently on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. In the western Pacific Super Typhoon Lupit is threatening the Northern Philippines within the next three days. This will be the third deadly typhoon to hit the Philippines in less than a month. A combined total of over 800 deaths have already been attributed to Typhoon Ketsana that hit in late September and typhoon Parma that passed over the Philippines on October 3.

At the same time category five hurricane Rick formed on the other side of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico. Rick is predicted by the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida to weaken to a category one hurricane and pass over the Baja Peninsula within 48 hours.

NASA and the Japanese Space Agency manage the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite, known as TRMM. TRMM has the capability to measure rainfall from space. The typhoon Lupit image was made from data received by the TRMM satellite on October 18, 2009 at 1535 UTC (11:35 EDT). At that time Lupit was a category 4 super typhoon with wind speeds of about 132 knots (~152 mph). The TRMM satellite revealed that Lupit had a very well defined eye with very heavy rainfall in the northeast quadrant of the eye wall.

The hurricane Rick image was made using data captured when the TRMM satellite flew over hurricane Rick on October 18, 2009 at (3:53 a.m. EDT) 0753 UTC. At that time Rick was a powerful category 5 hurricane with wind speeds of about 155 knots (~178 mph). The TRMM rainfall analysis was derived from the Precipitation Radar (PR) and TRMM’s Microwave Imager (TMI) and showed heavy rain falling on its northern and eastern sides at about 2 inches per hour.

By 11 a.m. EDT on October 19, Rick’s maximum sustained winds had decreased to 115 mph. Rick’s center was located near 17.8 North and 111.6 West, only 80 miles south-southwest of Sorocco Island, and 370 miles south-southwest of Cabo San Lucas. Rick was moving northwest near 9 mph, and had a minimum central pressure near 958 millibars.

TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA.

Tropical Storm Neki Form in the Central Pacific

Tropical Storm Neki formed today about 830 miles southeast of Johnston Island in the Central Pacific Ocean. NASA’s QuikScat and Aqua satellites quickly captured and analyzed winds and temperatures in Neki, enabling forecasters to see the storm strengthening.

Today, October 19, at 11 a.m. EDT (5 a.m. HST) Neki had maximum sustained winds near 40 mph, and was moving west-northwest near 14 mph. Estimated minimum central pressure is 1006 millibars. It was 825 miles south of Honolulu, Hawaii and about 830 miles southeast of Johnston Island near latitude 9.5 North and longitude 159.6 West. Neki is expected to shift slowly toward the northwest later tonight or Tuesday, at which time it is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane.

NASA’s QuikScat instrument captured an inside look at Tropical Storm Neki’s surface winds using microwave technology from its vantage point in space on Oct. 19 at 0425 UTC (12:25 a.m. EDT). QuikScat showed highest wind speeds near 40 mph.

NASA’s Aqua satellite also flew above Neki and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument captured a visible, infrared and microwave image of the storm. The visible image showed a storm getting organized and developing the signature tropical storm shape. The infrared and microwave images confirmed some high thunderstorms, indicating some strong convection and a strengthening storm.

Neki is forecast to pass very close to Johnston Island on Wednesday, October 21 as a hurricane.