NASA Satellite View of Tropical Cyclone Joalane Northeast of Mauritius
On April 7 the MODIS instrument captured this visible-light image of Tropical Cyclone Joalane the Southern Indian Ocean, over 700 miles east of Madagascar (left). The black area indicates space between satellite passes. Image Credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team
As NASA’s Terra satellite passed over the Southern Indian Ocean an instrument aboard captured visible-light data of Tropical Cyclone 22S, renamed Joalane. That data showed Joalane about 700 miles (1,127 km) east of northern Madagascar and 400 miles (644 km) northeast of the island of Mauritius.
On April 7 at 06:00 UTC (2 a.m. EDT), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard captured visible-light data of Tropical Cyclone Joalane. That data was made into an image by the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The image showed banding of thunderstorms in the western and eastern quadrants of the storm. Microwave data revealed the storm had developed an eye.
By 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT), Joalane’s maximum sustained winds had increased to 80 knots (92 mph/148.2 kph). Joalane is a strong Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. Joalane’s center was near 14.5 south latitude and 62.9 east longitude, about 469 nautical miles (539.7 miles/868.6 km) northeast of Port Louis, Mauritius. Joalane was moving to the south-southeast 6 knots (6.9 mph/11.1 kph).
Joalane intensified rapidly over the previous 12 hours by as much as 35 knots (40.2 mph/64.8 kph). The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) noted that an “upper level analysis indicates a very favorable environment with low (5 to 10 knot) vertical wind shear and excellent dual outflow channels.”
The JTWC forecast calls for Joalane to intensify and head southeast, moving east of Rodrigues Island on April 10, where no warnings are currently in effect. The storm’s intensity is expected to peak around 100 knots (115 mph/185.2 kph) in four days’ time. Thereafter, the storm is expected to weaken.
For updated forecasts for Rodrigues Island, visit the Mauritius Meteorological Services website at: http://metservice.intnet.mu/.
