NASA MODIS Image of the Day: November 28, 2012 – Tropical Storm Three (03B) in the Bay of Bengal
The third tropical cyclone of the 2012 North Indian Ocean enjoyed a short life in mid-November before dissipating in the face of strong wind shear. The system was first noted as an area of low pressure in the Bay of Bengal on November 12. On November 18, it strengthened to Tropical Depression 03B, and briefly reached Tropical Storm status when maximum sustained winds peaked at 35 knots (40.2 mph/64.8 kph). The last bulletin on the system was issued at 0300 UTC on November 19. At that time, Tropical Depression 03B had maximum sustained winds near 30 knots (34.5 mph/55.5 kph). At that time it was centered near 15.2 north latitude and 86.5 east longitude, about 395 nautical miles east-northeast of Chennai, India, and it was moving to the southwest near 2 knots (2.7 mph/3.7 kph). The remnant low moved over southern coastal Andhra Pradesh, northern coastal Tamilnadu and Puducherry, India on Wednesday November 21, bringing moderate rainfall, with isolated areas of heavy rainfall, to the region. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of Tropical Depression 03B as it was forming in the Bay of Bengal. The image showed a storm with clear circulation extending out from a clouded central region. Bands of thunderstorms extend across the southern and northeastern quadrants, with the northernmost bands covering the coasts of India, Bangladesh and Myanmar (Burma).
