In the Pilbara region of Western Australia, between the Hamersley and Chichester Ranges, lies an impermanent river. It is part of the catchment of the Fortescue River, which flows toward the Indian Ocean. In January 2012, heavy rains from Tropical Cyclone Heidi filled the normally dry riverbed near the towns of Wittenoom and Marillana.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured these images on January 15, 2012 (top). These images use a combination of visible and infrared light to better distinguish between water and land. Water ranges in color from electric blue to navy. Vegetation is green. Bare ground is earth-toned. Clouds are pale blue-green.

Separated by just nine days, these images show significant changes. The same river valley that is nearly dry on January 6 is filled with water on January 15. Besides watering ephemeral rivers, the storm hampered iron-ore production in Pilbara, according to news reports.

Tropical Storm Thane formed over the Indian Ocean on December 25, 2011. By December 28, Thane had strengthened into a cyclone and was headed toward southern India. On December 28, the U.S. Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) reported that Thane was located roughly 270 nautical miles (500 kilometers) southeast of Chennai. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 65 knots (120 kilometers per hour) with gusts up to 80 knots (150 kilometers per hour).

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this natural-color image on December 28, 2011. Thane lacks a distinct eye but still sports the spiral shape characteristic of strong storms. Skies are clear over Chennai but storm clouds extend over other parts of the Indian coast.

The JTWC forecast that Thane would continue moving toward the west, making landfall south of Chennai on December 30.