INDIAN OCEAN *Full update* NASA's Aqua Satellite Sees Tropical Cyclone Kate Passing

SO. INDIAN OCEAN *Full update*
NASA's Aqua Satellite Sees Tropical Cyclone Kate Passing Cocos Keeling Islands
- RWhat esidents of the Cocos Keeling Islands in the Southern Indian Ocean had a Christmas day visitor they didn't want in the form of Tropical Cyclone Kate. Kate moved through the islands and triggered warnings on Dec. 25 before started moving away to the west. NASA's Aqua satellite caught a picture of Kate on Dec. 25 that showed the heaviest thunderstorms were west of the islands.

NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Kate on Dec. 25 at 0705 UTC (2:05 a.m. EST) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument captured a visible image of the storm. The MODIS image showed that the strongest thunderstorms (which appeared bright white on satellite imagery) were west of the islands although the islands were still being affected by the storm's northeastern quadrant at the time. Animated infrared satellite imagery shows the system has developed a cloud-filled eye as central convection has deepened.
On December 25 at 1500 UTC (10 a.m. EST) Kate had maximum sustained winds near 35 knots (40 mph/62 kph). Kate was centered near 12.4 south and 96.2 east, just 30 nautical (34.5 miles/55.5 km) miles southwest of Cocos Island, Australia. Kate was moving to the west at 8 knots (9.2 mph/14.8 kph). At that time, Kate was being battered by moderate wind shear from the northeast, and that wind shear was pushing the bulk of clouds and showers southwest of the low-level center.
By Dec. 26 after Kate had just passed the islands, it began to intensify, as maximum sustained winds increased to 70 knots (80.5 mph/129.6 kph). Forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center expect Kate to strengthen to 85 knots (97.8 mph/157.4 kph) on Dec. 27 before weakening again.
Kate was centered near 12.5 south latitude and 94.1 east longitude, or about 155 nautical miles (178.5 miles/287.3 km) west of Cocos Island. Kate was moving to the west at 3 knots (3.4 mph/5.5 kph).
Kate is forecast to move in a west-southwesterly direction over the next couple of days and weaken back to a depression as vertical wind shear increases.
Rob Gutro

Image of the day: NASA's RapidScat instrument aboard the International Space Station measured the gusty winds associated with the cold front that moved off the U.S. East coast yesterday, Dec. 25. Some of the sustained winds were as high as 25 meters per second or 55 mph (in red)! Credit: NASA JPL/Doug Tyler

NORTHERN INDIAN OCEAN - System 95B is showing signs of organizing today, despite being battered by strong vertical wind shear (20-30 knots). The low pressure area is located neaer 5.6 north latitude and 93.2 east longitude, about 213 nautical miles east-southeast of Colomba, Sri Lanka.
Satellite data shows some flaring convection and thunderstorms pushed to the west of the center and located over southern Sri Lanka. Despite the strong wind shear, maximum sustained winds at the surface are between 25-30 knots. This tropical low has a medium chance to develop into a depression in the next 24 hours.
Today, Dec. 26 at 750 UTC (2:50 a.m. EST) the MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured this image of the low pressure area.

SO. PACIFIC OCEAN - 2 Tropical Lows Losing Chances for Development. System 96P is no longer suspect for tropical cyclone formation in the South Pacific, and the chances for System 94P to develop have dropped to low. System 94P is centered near 19.2 south and 157.8 west, about 390 nautical miles west-southwest of Bora Bora.
NOAA's GOES-West satellite captured an infrared picture of the low pressure area on Dec. 26 at 1452 UTC (9:52 a.m. EST/U.S.) and it shows that westerly wind shear has had a strong effect on the system. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center noted that the storm is being "unraveled and its low-level center exposed to outside winds." So, it appears that System 94P is also fizzling out.

SOUTHERN PACIFIC _ System 96P has formed near 12.4 south and 175.2 west, about 290 miles west-northwest of Pago Pago, American Samoa, but it has a low chance of development in the next 24 hours.SOUTHERN PACIFIC OCEAN - System 94P continues to have a high chance for development over the next 24 hours. It is centered near 14.8 south latitude and 158.2 west longitude, about 395 nautical miles west-northwest from Bora Bora. It is moving south at 6 knots and satellite imagery shows that the storm is consolidating and organizing. This image was taken from NOAA's GOES-West satellite earlier today.

SOUTHERN INDIAN OCEAN - Warnings Remain in Effect for Tropical cyclone Kate
A tropical cyclone warning is in effect for the Cocos Keeling Islands today as Tropical Cyclone Kate moves through. At 1500 UTC (10 a.m. EST) Kate had maximum sustained winds near 35 knots (40 mph/62 kph). Kate was centered near 12.4 south and 96.2 east, just 30 nautical miles southwest of Cocos Island, Australia. Kate was moving to the west at 8 knots.
Kate is forecast to move in a west-sou...

SO. INDIAN OCEAN *Full Update* NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP Satellite Spots Birth of Tropical Cyclone Kate
- The tropical low pressure area previously known as System 95S organized and strengthened into Tropical Cyclone Kate on Dec. 24 and the Cocos Keeling Islands are expected to feel its effects on Dec. 25 and 26. NASA-NOAA's Suomi-NPP satellite passed over Kate after it formed.
NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite flew over newborn Tropical Cyclone Kate on Dec. 24 at 06:39 UTC (1...

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Severe weather in the form of tornadoes is not something people expect on Christmas week but a storm system on Dec. 23 brought tornadoes to Mississippi, Georgia and Louisiana. As the storm moved, NASA's RapidScat captured data on winds while NOAA's GOES satellite tracked the movement of the system. http://www.nasa.gov/…/nasa-looks-at-some-severe-holiday-w…/…