NASA's Aqua satellite sees Typhoon Halola elongating
NASA's Aqua satellite flew over Typhoon Halola in the northwestern Pacific Ocean and captured temperature data on the storm. Satellite data showed that wind shear is affecting the stubborn storm.
NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Halola on July 14 at 20:20 UTC (4:20 p.m. EDT/1:20 p.m. PDT) infrared data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument that also flies aboard Aqua showed cloud top temperatures were as cold as -63F/-52C. Cloud top temperatures that cold have the ability to drop heavy rainfall.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center noted that animated enhanced infrared satellite imagery continued to show the storm has become elongated. Clouds and showers have been pushed to the northeast of the center due to moderate to high (20-25 knot) southwesterly vertical wind shear. However, the storm is expected to retain typhoon status, despite the wind shear.
On July 15 at 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT), Typhoon Halola's maximum sustained winds were near 75 knots (86 mph/138.9 kph). It was centered near 17.8 North latitude and 168.0 East longitude about 149 nautical miles (171.5 miles/275.9 km) southeast of Wake Island. Halola is moving to the west-northwestward at 15 knots (17.2 mph/27.8 kph).
Halola is expected to maintain typhoon intensity and continue moving in a west-northwesterly direction over the next several days, over the open waters of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean.
Provided by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center