NASA MODIS Image of the Day: September 21, 2011 – Typhoon Roke (18W) approaching Japan
Heavy rain bands from Typhoon Roke were already covering Japan on September 20, 2011 at 04:45 UTC (1:45 p.
m.
Japan Standard Time) when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua satellite captured this true-color image. At that time, Typhoon Roke was classified as a Category Four Typhoon on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale with maximum sustained winds near 115 knots (132 mph/213 kmh). It was centered 450 nautical miles (833 km/517 miles) southwest of Tokyo. The storm was moving to the northeast at 14 knots (16 mph/26 kmh) and generating rough seas with heights to 26 feet (8 meters). Typhoon Roke contains powerful and high cloud tops which carry extremely heavy rain, particularly around the center of circulation. Near the center, cloud top temperatures were found to be colder than -63F (-52C). Very cold cloud tops indicate very strong thunderstorms containing heavy rainfall. Along with MODIS, NASA’s Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite was also watching the storm. According to data from TRMM, some areas of the storm carry rain falling at 2 inches (50 mm) per hour. Although the center of Typhoon Roke isn’t predicted to make landfall until at least Wednesday, September 21, the rainfall in Japan is already considerable, especially in the areas already soaked by rains from Typhoon Talas just a few weeks ago. Japan’s NHK news reported a 24-hour rainfall total of 400 mm (15.75 inches) in Miyazaki Prefecture in Kyushu. That same area reported 1,000 mm (39 inches) of rainfall since September 15. Heavy rains and rivers overflowing their banks were also reported in Aichi on September 20, well in advance of the worst of the rains predicted from Roke. Japanese authorities have called for evacuation of over 1.1 million people as Typhoon Roke nears, primarily due to concerns about flooding, wind and high storm surge. Flash flooding and landslides are also possible, particularly in western and central Japan where rainfall has already been heavy. Some local news and weather reports also cite potential problems with the Fukushima-Dai-Ichi power plant, which has been working to control leakage of water into the basements of the reactor buildings. According to Tokyo Electric estimates, the reactors contained 102 million liters of radioactive waters as of September 13. It also estimated that as much as 500,000 liters of underground water are leaking into the buildings each day through cracks in walls and trenches. Bloomberg News reported that on September 20, the Japan Meteorological Agency estimated Roke could drop an additional 150 mm (6 inches) of rain on Fukushima within 24 hours.
