NASA - TRMM Mission patch / NASA/NOAA - GOES-West Mission patch.
August 8, 2014
Iselle (Eastern Pacific Ocean); Tropical Storm Iselle Hits Hawaii
Image above: The TRMM satellite had an excellent view of tropical storm Iselle as it neared the Hawaiian islands on August 8, 2014. Image Credit: SSAI/NASA, Hal Pierce.
Hurricane Iselle weakened to a tropical storm while approaching the island of Hawaii on Thursday August 7, 2014. As a tropical storm Iselle contained some heavy rain showers and strong winds when it hit the big island.
Iselle later dropped some heavy rain over Maui and scattered showers extended to Kauai and Oahu.
Image above: NOAA's GOES-West satellite. Image Credit: NASA/NOAA.
The TRMM satellite had an excellent view of tropical storm Iselle as it neared the Hawaiian islands on August 8, 2014 at 0152 UTC ( August 7 at 3:52 PM HST). A rainfall analysis from TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar (PR) instruments is shown overlaid on a 0200 UTC GOES-WEST image. TRMM's TMI collected data showing that rain was falling at a rate of over 39 mm (1.5 inches) per hour near Iselle's center.
After crossing the island of Hawaii, Iselle is predicted to continue weakening as its center of circulation passes to the south of the other Hawaiian Islands.
TRMM and GOES Satellites See Hurricanes Iselle and Julio Menacing Hawaii
The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite and NOAA's GOES-West satellite saw both weakening Hurricane Iselle and category two hurricane Julio at the same time on August 7 from its orbit in space because both storms are so close to each other in the Central Pacific Ocean.
Image above: Visualization of the TRMM satellite in space over a hurricane. Image Credit: NASA.
Both Iselle and Julio were moving toward the Hawaiian Islands on August 7, 2014 at 0922 UTC (5:22 a.m. EDT) when TRMM passed overhead. TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) instrument collected data as it passed overhead. Microwave brightness temperatures at 85.5 GHZ and at 37.0 GHZ were combined in the red, green and blue components to construct the image. Brightness temperature is a measurement of the radiance of the microwave radiation traveling upward from the top of the atmosphere to the satellite. The brighter the temperature, the more energy is being generated.
Image above: This GOES-West satellite image from August 7 at 1800 UTC (2 p.m. EDT) shows Hurricane Iselle approaching Hawaii and Hurricane Julio behind to the east. Image Credit: NASA/NOAA GOES Project.
NOAA's GOES-West satellite captured an image of both storms on August 7 at 1800 UTC (2 p.m. EDT) as Iselle was approaching Hawaii and Hurricane Julio followed behind to the east. In the image, Julio appeared to have a better, more organized circulation.
An Air Force reconnaissance aircraft data shows that Iselle is no longer a hurricane and is on a weakening trend. The eyewall was no longer visible on aircraft radar. Flight level winds in the storm were near 60 knots and surface winds near 57 knots. Iselle's forward motion has slowed as a weakness developed within the storm. A mid and upper level low is forecast to develop within the weakness over the next couple of days that will cause the system to weaken to a shallow low.
Image above: The TRMM satellite saw both weakening Hurricane Iselle and category two Hurricane Julio in the same orbit as they were moving toward the Hawaiian islands on August 7, 2014. Image Credit: SSAI/NASA, Hal Pierce.
Iselle is not expected to survive after it makes landfall on the Big Island due to the interaction with the terrain and the strong shear along its track. However, if it is able to survive landfall, a new ridge may develop north of the forecast track and it may strengthen again to hurricane strength prior to reaching the international dateline.
Image above: On August 9 at 23:15 UTC, the MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite took this visible image of Hurricane Iselle in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Image Credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team.
At 3:00 am HST, 1300 UTC, the center of tropical storm Iselle was located near latitude 19.2 north, longitude 155.4 west. Iselle is moving toward the west near 10 mph, 17 km/h, and this motion is expected to continue through Saturday, with an increase in forward speed. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 175 miles, 280 km from the center.
Satellite Movie Shows Hurricane Iselle and Julio Moving Toward Hawaii
Video above: This animation of NOAA's GOES-East satellite imagery from August 2 through 7 shows the movement of Hurricanes Iselle (left) and Julio (right) toward the Hawaiian Islands. Video Credits: NASA/NOAA GOES Project.
For updated forecasts on Iselle, please visit NOAA's Central Pacific Hurricane Center website at: http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/tcpages/ISELLE.php. For updated forecasts on Hurricane Julio, please visit NOAA's National Hurricane Center website: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov.
Images (mentioned), Video (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center / Hal Pierce / Lynn Jenner.
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