TRMM And GPM Core Satellite See Sinlaku Headed Toward Vietnam

TRMM And GPM Core Satellite See Sinlaku Headed Toward Vietnam

TRMM And GPM Core Satellite See Sinlaku Headed Toward Vietnam

Tropical storm Sinlaku formed on November 26, 2014 over the southeastern Philippines. As a tropical depression Sinlaku caused flooding in areas of the Visayas and Mindanao. The TRMM and the GPM core satellite viewed Sinlaku after it had strengthened into a tropical storm over the South China Sea. The first image shows rainfall derived from TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) data collected when the satellite flew over on November 28, 2014 at 0716 UTC. The second view shows rainfall from GPM Microwave Imager (GMI) measurements received a little over six hours later at 1326 UTC. Rainfall was measured by the GMI instrument to be falling at a rate of over 82 mm/hr (about 3.2 inches) per hour in powerful thunderstorms north of Sinlaku's center of circulation.

TRMM And GPM Core Satellite See Sinlaku Headed Toward Vietnam

This 3-D view of Sinlakus's precipitation structure was made using data from the Ku band on GPM's dual frequency radar instrument (DPR). DPR showed that some thunderstorm were reaching heights of 16.41 km (about 10.2 miles). The energy released by these towering storms often signals intensification in tropical cyclones. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) predicts that Sinlaku will intensify and reach close to typhoon force winds of 60 kts (69 mph) before hitting Vietnam on November 30, 2014.