Hurricane Season 2011: Tropical Depression Haitang (Western North Pacific Ocean)

NASA’s Infrared Eyes Examine Tropical Depression Haitang as it Nears Vietnam

Very cold temperatures in NASA infrared satellite imagery of tropical cyclones tell meteorologists that cloud tops are high, and the thunderstorms they’re associated with have a lot of punch. Some of those strong storms are evident in Tropical Depression Haitang as it heads for landfall in Vietnam where cloud-top temperatures exceed -63 Fahrenheit.

At 5 a.m. EDT on Sept. 26, Tropical depression Haitang was centered near 16.8 North and 110.5 East. That’s about 170 miles east of Hue, Vietnam. Haitang had maximum sustained winds near 30 knots (35 mph/55 kmh). It was moving to the west near 6 knots (7 mph/11 kmh) and generating 12-foot high waves in the Gulf of Tonkin.

Read more: nasa.gov