NASA - EOS Terra Mission patch.
Aug. 23, 2018
Lane - Formerly 14E (Eastern Pacific)
An infrared look by NASA's Terra satellite provided forecasters with temperature data in the Category 4 hurricane near Hawaii. Terra data showed a large ring of coldest and most powerful storms around Hurricane Lane's eye on Aug. 23.
Image above: On Aug. 23 at 4:15 a.m. EDT (0815 UTC) NASA's Terra satellite found the coldest temperatures of the strongest thunderstorms (yellow) in Hurricane Lane were as cold as or colder than minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 62.2 Celsius) northeast and southwest of the eye. They were embedded in a large area of storms (red) that circled the eye where cloud top temperatures were as cold as or colder than minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 56.6 degrees Celsius). Image Credits: NRL/NASA.
NOAA's Central Pacific Hurricane Center or CPHC noted that a Hurricane Warning is in effect for Oahu, Maui County including the islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe and Hawaii County. A Hurricane Watch is in effect for Kauai County, including the islands of Kauai and Niiha.
On Aug. 23 at 4:15 a.m. EDT (0815 UTC) the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite analyzed cloud top temperatures in infrared light. MODIS found cloud top temperatures of the strongest thunderstorms northeast and southwest of the eye were as cold as or colder than minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 62.2 Celsius). They were embedded in a large area or storms that circled the eye where cloud top temperatures were as cold as or colder than minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 56.6 degrees Celsius).
Cloud top temperatures that cold indicate strong storms that have the capability to create heavy rain. Rainfall is expected to be the biggest threat from Lane.
CPHC said, "The cloud-filled eye continues to be surrounded by a solid ring of cold cloud tops, with lightning bursts persisting in the northern eye wall for the last several hours."
CPHC also noted, "Excessive rainfall associated with Lane will impact the Hawaiian Islands into the weekend, leading to significant and life-threatening flash flooding and landslides. Lane is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 10 to 20 inches, with localized amounts in excess of 30 inches over the Hawaiian Islands."
NASA's Terra satellite. Image Credit: NASA
At 8 a.m. EDT (2 a.m. HST/1200 UTC) on Aug. 23, the eye of Hurricane Lane was located by satellite and radar near latitude 16.5 degrees north and longitude 157.3 degrees west.
NOAA's CPHC said, "Lane is moving toward the northwest near 7 mph (11 kph). This general motion is expected to continue today, with a gradual turn toward the north-northwest. On Friday, a turn toward the north is anticipated as Lane's forward motion slows even more. A turn back toward the west is expected on Saturday. On the forecast track, the center of Lane will move very close to or over the main Hawaiian Islands later today through Friday (Aug. 24)."
Maximum sustained winds are near 130 mph (215 kph) with higher gusts. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 40 miles (65 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles (220 km).
Lane is a powerful category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
CPHC said, "Some weakening is forecast during the next day or so, with more significant weakening thereafter. Lane is expected to remain a hurricane as it approaches the islands."
Related articles:
NASA Stares Major Hurricane Lane in the Eye
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2018/08/nasa-stares-major-hurricane-lane-in-eye.html
NASA & JAXA GPM Satellite Finds Heavy Rainfall in Powerful Hurricane Lane
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2018/08/nasa-jaxa-gpm-satellite-finds-heavy.html
For updated forecasts, visit: http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc
NASA's Terra satellite: https://terra.nasa.gov/
Images (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, by Rob Gutro.
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