October 1, 2019 - Typhoon Mitag

On September 30, 2019 the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board MODIS instrument NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of Typhoon Mitag spinning over the Philippine Sea east of Taiwan. Powerful bands of thunderstorms swirled in the Mitag’s low-level, cloud-filled center and, in the west, reached over Taiwan.

At 5:00 a.m. EDT (0900 UTC) on that date, Typhoon Mitag carried maximum sustained winds near 83 mph (138 km/h). It was located near 22.8 degrees north latitude and 123.0 degrees east longitude, about 161 nautical miles south-southeast of Taipei, Taiwan.

Mitag is moving north, close to the east coast of Taiwan and forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center noted that Mitag is at peak intensity. The storm is forecast to graze the east coast of China, south of Shanghai, and then turn northeast.

Warnings remained in effect for the Philippines on the afternoon of September 30 as Mitag, known locally as Onyok, continues to move north and away from the country. These warnings included wind signal #1 for the Luzon provinces of Batanes and Babuyan Islands.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 9/30/2019
Resolutions: 1km (2.3 MB), 500m (6.8 MB), 250m (5.5 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC