Weakening Hilda Seen From Orbit

This infrared NASA satellite image shows the elongated area of Hilda’s showers and thunderstorms (blue areas of cold high clouds) indicating she’s weakening. Credit: NASA/JPL, Ed Olsen

Tropical Depression Hilda is already dissipating while moving west. NASA’s infrared satellite imagery confirmed that she doesn’t have a good circulation. In fact, her clouds are elongated and becoming more disorganized as she continues fading far south of Hawaii.

This infrared NASA satellite image shows the elongated area of Hilda’s showers and thunderstorms (blue areas of cold high clouds) indicating she’s weakening. Credit: NASA/JPL, Ed Olsen

Tropical Depression Hilda is already dissipating while moving west. NASA’s infrared satellite imagery confirmed that she doesn’t have a good circulation. In fact, her clouds are elongated and becoming more disorganized as she continues fading far south of Hawaii.

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on NASA’s Aqua satellite flies over the Eastern Pacific Ocean daily and captured Hilda’s elongated remnants on August 27 at 1:11p.m.Hawaiian local Time.

Infrared imagery measures temperatures and measures cold, high cloud tops in tropical cyclones, and the warm ocean waters that fuel them. In a tropical cyclone, higher clouds indicate more powerful thunderstorms and a stronger tropical cyclone. AIRS saw that Hilda’s clouds are not high and waning fast.

The last advisory on Hilda, issued on August 27 at 5 p.m. Hawaiian Time reported that Hilda had maximum sustained winds near 30 mph, but they’ve weakened since. The center of Hilda was located 435 miles south of Hilo, Hawaii, near 13.5 north, and 156.1 west. Hilda was still moving west near 14 mph, and won’t have any impact on the Hawaiian Islands. Estimated minimum central pressure is 1010 millibars.

Hilda is expected to dissipate over the weekend.

Text credit: Rob Gutro, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center