Satellite picture of Tropical Cyclone Jasper caught on December 12, 2023, by Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASAs Aqua satellite.
The first storm of the Australian cyclone season intended for Port Douglas.
The 2023 cyclone season in the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific oceans has actually ended, however in the southern hemisphere near Australia, it has simply started. The regions very first cyclone of the season formed in the Coral Sea in the first week of December.
The MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASAs Aqua satellite caught this image of Tropical Cyclone Jasper at 4:10 Universal Time (3:10 p.m. regional time) on December 12 as it neared northeastern Queensland.
With leading wind speeds of 220 kilometers (140 miles) per hour, the storm formerly went through fast augmentation to reach category-4 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale. It later on compromised when it dealt with dry air and wind shear, preventing a more balanced structure and clear eye by the time of this image.
Forecasters with the Joint Typhoon Warning Center anticipate Jasper to strengthen somewhat on its final approach and make landfall near Port Douglas with 120 kilometers (75 miles) per hour winds, making it the equivalent of a weak category 1 storm. Some areas could receive approximately 30 centimeters (12 inches) of rain over 6 hours and up to 50 centimeters over 24 hours, according to Australias Bureau of Meteorology.
Forecasters from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center used observations from NASAs TROPICS (Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats) mission in their analysis of the storms strength in the runup to landfall. Tracking storms with TROPICS is expected to improve understanding of processes that drive the fast accumulation of hurricanes. Each of the 5 satellites in the constellation carries cross-track microwave sounders that make observations at 205 gigahertz, which supplies improved observations of the structure of storm clouds.
In its seasonal outlook launched in October, Australias Bureau of Meteorology predicted that Australia would see less tropical cyclones than typical this season due to the presence of El Niño. Satellite observations collected considering that the 1970s reveal a steady decline in the variety of such storms forming near Australia. The Sixth Assessment Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change forecasts an ongoing downward trend in the frequency of Australian hurricanes in the future however a boost in the proportion of serious storms.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison, utilizing MODIS information from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview.
Tracking storms with TROPICS is expected to improve understanding of procedures that drive the quick intensification of tropical cyclones. Each of the 5 satellites in the constellation carries cross-track microwave sounders that make observations at 205 gigahertz, which provides enhanced observations of the structure of storm clouds.
In its seasonal outlook released in October, Australias Bureau of Meteorology predicted that Australia would see less tropical cyclones than usual this season due to the existence of El Niño.