The life of a cyclone is a complex one, and NASA satellites have kept track of a low that has now become Tropical Storm Bianca just off the northern coast of Western Australia.

What began as a low pressure system designated as System 98S on January 24 bringing rains near Kuri Bay, Australia. On January 25, System 98S strengthened into the tenth tropical depression of the Southern Pacific Ocean hurricane season and was designated as “10S.” Today, January 26, that low intensified into a tropical storm and was named Bianca.

NASA’s Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has been monitoring rainfall in the storm to assist area forecasts. NASA’s TRMM satellite captured Tropical Storm Bianca’s rainfall on January 26 at 01:09 UTC (Jan. 25 at 8:09 p.m. EST). Most of the rainfall around the storm was moderate, falling at rates between .78 to 1.57 inches (20 to 340 mm) per hour. Over open waters, in the northwestern quadrant of the storm, there were some areas of heavy rainfall at almost 2 inches (50 mm) per hour. The TRMM image also clearly showed the storm’s center was located off the coast and over open waters. The TRMM satellite is managed by both NASA and JAXA, and images are created at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

NASA’s Aqua Satellite captured a visible image of the former Tropical Storm Anthony, now weakened to a tropical depression, but forecasters aren’t counting Anthony out yet. Despite its weakened condition Anthony continues to move west toward Queensland, Australia and into a more favorable area for sustaining a tropical cyclone.

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument that flies aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite captured a visible image on Jan. 26 at 03:23 UTC of Tropical Depression Anthony in the South Pacific Ocean. The image revealed a cloud-filled center of the storm.

At 0600 UTC (1 a.m. EST) on January 26, Anthony had progressed west and was now about 455 nautical miles west-northwest of Nomeau, New Caledonia. That places Anthony’s center near 19.2 South and 159.1 East. Maximum sustained surface winds are estimated at 25 to 30 knots (28 mph/46 km/hr to 34 mph/55 km/hr) meaning that Anthony is still at tropical depression status.