NASA Measures Moderate Rainfall in Newborn Tropical Storm Ivo

The ninth tropical depression of the Eastern Pacific Ocean hurricane season strengthened into Tropical Storm Ivo on Aug. 23 as NASA’s TRMM satellite passed overhead. Ivo is expected to bring heavy surf and rainfall to southern Baja California over the next couple of days.

NASA’s Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission/TRMM satellite captured the rainfall rates occurring in Tropical Storm Ivo on Aug. 23 at 0815 UTC/4:15 a.m. EDT. TRMM noticed some thunderstorms were reaching heights of 7.4 miles /12 km, and the heaviest rainfall was falling at a rate of 1.18 inches/30 mm per hour.

At 11 a.m. EDT/1500 UTC on Aug. 23, the center of Tropical Storm Ivo was located near latitude 18.7 north and longitude 112.4 west. Ivo’s maximum sustained winds were near 40 mph/65 kph and the National Hurricane Center noted that some slow strengthening is possible during the next 24 to 36 hours. Ivo is moving toward the north near 6 mph/9 kph and is expected to move north-northwest. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1,000 millibars

Ivo is a good-sized tropical storm, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 175 miles/280 km from the center.

The southern portion of Baja California, Mexico is expected to feel the effects of Ivo as it passes just to the west, on a northern track. Ivo is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 1 to 3 inches. Ivo is also expected to produce dangerous surf and swells along the southern peninsula today, Aug. 23 and through Aug. 24.