NASA MODIS Image of the Day: July 29, 2011 – Tropical Storm Nock-ten (10W) over the Philippines
Tropical Storm 10W, now called Nock-ten, swirled over the Philippines on July 26, 2011 at 02:30 UTC or 10:30 a.
m.
local Asia/Manila time (July 25 at 10:30 p.m. EDT). This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) that flies aboard NASA’s Terra satellite at that time. The center of circulation in the image appears to be near the Cataduanes Island on the eastern side of the Philippines, in the Philippine Sea. By 1200 UTC (8 p.m. local Asia/Manila time), surface weather reports from Catanduanes confirmed the low level circulation center passed north of the site. At that time, Nock-ten’s maximum sustained winds were near 35 knots (40 mph/65 kmh) making it a minimum tropical storm. It was located about 110 nautical miles east of Manila near 14.7 North and 122.6 East. Nock-ten was moving to the west-northwest at 5 knots (6 mph/9 kmh). The storm continued to strengthen overnight and had been upgraded to a Severe Tropical Storm early on July 27. Nock-ten rapidly intensified to a category 1 typhoon and made landfall over northern Aurora province on that same day, killing 29 people and affecting over 645,000 more, according to Gulfnews.com. Most of the fatalities were caused by drowning, landslides, fallen trees, electrocution and heart attack. On July 28, at 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT) Tropical Storm Nock-ten was already raining on Hainan Island and headed toward another landfall in Vietnam. Its center was still 464 nautical miles east-southeast of Hanoi, Vietnam near 18.2 North and 113.0 East. Nock-ten’s sustained winds are near 55 knots (63 mph/101 kmh) and it is moving in a westerly direction at 12 knots (14 mph/22 kmh). The Joint Typhoon Warning center forecasters expect that the center of Nock-ten will make landfall over Hainan Island, China before July 29 at 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT) and weaken a little as it moves over land. However, once it re-emerges over water in the Gulf of Tonkin, it may strengthen a little before making final landfall in Vietnam.
