July 8, 2020 - Tropical Storm Cristina

Tropical Storm Cristina

A low-pressure area formed about 440 mi (710 km) south of Acapulco, Mexico on July 6, 2020, quickly strengthening to become Tropical Storm Cristina. Tropical Depression Five-E reached tropical storm strength only six hours after initial formation, becoming the third-named storm in the Eastern Pacific Ocean this year.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of the freshly-formed Tropical Storm Christina on that same day. At the time the image was captured, Christina sported a large cloud-filled eye with a broad circulation pattern. The storm was in a favorable environment for intensification.

On July 7 at 2100 UTC (5:00 p.m. EDT) the National Hurricane Center (NHC) advised that Christina was located about 415 mi (670 km) south of Manzanillo, Mexico. It was moving northwest (305 degrees) at 13 mph (20 km/h) and was carrying maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h).

Christina is expected to continue to move to the northwest, keeping it well away from Mexico, while continuing to strengthen. It is expected to reach hurricane status, with winds reaching 75 mph (120 km/h) on July 8. Peak maximum sustained winds are expected to hit 100 mph (161 km/h) by July 9 before Christina begins to weaken and dissipate over the open waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 7/6/2020
Resolutions: 1km (787.1 KB), 500m (2.4 MB), 250m (4.7 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC