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NASA satellite keeps track of Tropical Storm Fernanda

Updated 11 p.m. 8/16/11

As of 11 p.m. HST the center of Tropical Storm Fernanda was located about 1,350 miles East-Southeast of South Point. Tropical Storm Fernanda currently has maximum sustained winds speeds of 50 mph with higher gusts. Tropical force winds extend outward of up to 70 miles from the center. The system is traveling West at about 7 mph.

The National Hurricane Center models show that the storm will not become a hurricane. South-Southwesterly wind shear will pull the storm apart and it will weaken as it travels over cooler waters.

The system is predicted to turn to the West-Northwest soon with a slight increase in forward speed.

Image courtesy of NRL Monterey

Image courtesy of NRL Monterey

By Hal Pierce, SSAI/NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

When TRMM passed over Fernanda at 4 a.m. EDT on Aug. 16, it revealed that the center was just northeast of the main band of thunderstorms where the heaviest rain was falling. The yellow and green areas indicate moderate rainfall between .78 to 1.57 inches (20-40 mm) per hour. Credit: NASA/SSAI, Hal Pierce

When TRMM passed over Fernanda at 4 a.m. EDT on Aug. 16, it revealed that the center was just northeast of the main band of thunderstorms where the heaviest rain was falling. The yellow and green areas indicate moderate rainfall between .78 to 1.57 inches (20-40 mm) per hour. Credit: NASA/SSAI, Hal Pierce

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) upgraded tropical depression 6E to tropical storm Fernanda on 16 August 2011 at 0800 UTC after seeing data from a TRMM satellite pass at that time.

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Satellite or TRMM satellite is managed by NASA and the Japanese Space Agency and provides rainfall rate estimates from its orbit in space. A rainfall analysis from TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) rainfall data today, August 16, showed that Fernanda contains areas of heavy rainfall, falling at more than 2 inches (50 mm) per hour. When TRMM passed over Fernanda at 0800 UTC (4 a.m. EDT) today, it revealed that the center was just northeast of the main band of thunderstorms where the heaviest rain was falling.

Fernanda was located about 1,478 miles (2,378 km) east-southeast of the Hawaiian Islands near 12.3 North and 134.5 West. Fernanda’s maximum wind speeds are about 45 knots (~52 mph) and it was moving toward the west at about 8 mph (13 kmh). Her tropical storm-force winds extend out to 35 miles (55 km) from the center.

The NHC discussion says that computer guidance indicates considerably more intensification is possible with Fernanda in the next day or so.

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