Poderoso ciclón al que se enfrentan en el noroeste de Australia.... Se está intensificando rápidamente!



Y no es de extrañar, viendo la energía que tiene acumulado el océano en la zona...

Como el trabajo escasea... y hace tanto que no mira nada de nada... pongo información Pedro (ordenar lo que veais necesario)

HISTORIAL

Mar. 12, 2012
NASA Sees Tropical Low Affecting Northern Australia



NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the western half of System 95S on March 12 at 0623 UTC and the AIRS instrument detected a large area of cold cloud top temperatures around the storm's center. Temperatures were as cold as -63 Fahrenheit (-52.7 Celsius) and appear on the image in purple.

The tropical low pressure area called System 95S is not yet classified as a tropical depression, but appears to be getting organized enough to generate some wind warnings in Northern Australia. NASA's Aqua satellite imagery revealed that the low is consolidating, and forecasters believe it may become a depression in a day or two.

Strong Wind Warnings are currently in effect from Cape Don to Wyndham, in Western Australia and for the waters from Daly River Mouth to Wyndham.

At 1200 UTC (8 a.m. EST/8:00 p.m. Australia WST), System 95S was near 18.5 South and 114.0 East, about 110 nautical miles (126.6 miles/203.7 km) west northwest of Cape Fourcroy. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology cited that System 95S is now west of the Tiwi Islands. That puts the center of the low about 170 nautical miles (195.6 miles/314.8 km) west-northwest of Darwin. It was moving slowly to the southwest at around 4 knots (4.6 mph/7.4 kph). Winds from the west are expected to turn the low sharply southeast toward the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf on March 13.

Mar. 13, 2012

NASA Sees Double Tropical Trouble in Northern Australia



On March 13, 2012 at 0245 UTC, the MODIS instrument on NASA's Terra satellite captured this visible image of Tropical Cyclone Lua (17S) over Western Australia. The highest, strongest thunderstorms appear to be on the southern side of the circulation, as the higher storms are casting shadows on the lower surrounding clouds.

Tropical cyclone Lua formed off the northern coast of Western Australia. On March 13, it was a minimum tropical storm with maximum sustained winds near 35 knots (~40 mph/~65 kph). It was located about 240 miles west-northwest of Port Hedland, Australia, near 18.4 South and 115.0 East. It was barely moving at 2 knots (~2 mph/~4 kph) to the west-northwest, but is expected to turn to the east-southeast in a day or two. Forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center expect Lua to meander for a day or two before intensifying before making landfall in the Pilbara region sometime on March 16. There are currently no warnings posted yet for Tropical Storm Lua, but that is likely to change over the next couple of days.

Mar. 14, 2012

NASA's TRMM Satellite Sees Tropical Storm Lua's Rainfall



The area covered by TRMM's Precipitation Radar on March 13, 2012 showed thunderstorm towers in feeder (thunderstorm) bands located to the southwest and northeast of Cyclone Lua's center reached heights of almost 15km (9.3 miles), indicating strong thunderstorms.


A tropical storm called Lua formed in the Indian Ocean off Australia's northwestern coast on March 13, 2012. NASA's TRMM satellite passed over Lua and observed moderate rainfall and strong towering thunderstorms within on March 13. By March 14, it was turning back toward Australia and storm warnings had been posted.

03.15.12



On March 15, 2012 at 02:31 UTC, the MODIS instrument onboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured this visible image of Cyclone Lua when it was about 400 nautical miles northwest of Port Hedland, Australia. Lua strengthened into a Cyclone today.

Warnings are in effect and evacuations have taken place along the northern Australia coast near Port Hedland. NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Lau as it strengthened into a Cyclone today, March 15, 2012.

On March 15, 2012 at 02:31 UTC, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument onboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible image of Cyclone Lua when it was about 400 nautical miles northwest of Port Hedland, Australia. In the image, the bulk of clouds and showers appear to be over the northern and western quadrants of the storm. Satellite imagery shows that Cyclone Lua is consolidating and has tightly-curved bands of thunderstorms wrapping into its center.

Ya está haciendo impacto en la costa... Adjunto imagen de microondas.

El ciclón tropical ayer alcanzó la categoría 4 en la escala australiana, aunque en la Saffir Simpson, sería categoría 2.

Según wunderground:

Time             Lat   Lon    Wind(mph)   Storm type
-------------------------------------------------------------
06 GMT 03/13/12  18.4S 115.0E    40       Tropical Storm
18 GMT 03/13/12  17.4S 113.3E    40       Tropical Storm
00 GMT 03/14/12  16.6S 112.6E    40       Tropical Storm
06 GMT 03/14/12  16.1S 112.5E    50       Tropical Storm
12 GMT 03/14/12  15.7S 112.8E    60       Tropical Storm
18 GMT 03/14/12  15.8S 113.0E    70       Tropical Storm
06 GMT 03/15/12  15.6S 112.8E    75       Category 1
18 GMT 03/15/12  15.5S 114.4E    80       Category 1
06 GMT 03/16/12  16.5S 116.6E    85       Category 1
18 GMT 03/16/12  17.7S 118.7E    105       Category 2
06 GMT 03/17/12  19.7S 120.0E    110       Category 2

Adjunto imagen de radar tras el impacto, en que se obseva la persistencia del ojo. Eso sí, no parece que las bandas de lluvia estén acarreando lluvias torrenciales. Otra cosa son los vientos... A ver si aparecen vídeos...

Bibi, es cierto, parece que el ciclón bajó un poco de intensidad al pasar por esa zona de aguas más frescas pero, con 28ºC tampoco debería de haber ocurrido quizás. Es probable que le afectaran otros factores, que no ese