NASA Aqua satellite revealed on Wednesday, Oct. 12, an astonishing image of the storm, Typhoon Songda, transitioning into an extra- tropical storm away from land areas as it finds its way through the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
Developed last Oct. 9, Typhoon Songda is the 23rd cyclone spotted at the northwestern Pacific Ocean. It was located 488 miles east-southeast of Iwoto Island, Japan.
On Monday, Oct. 10, a satellite image from NASA's Terra satellite showed various clouds that covered the storm's eye making it impossible to see through. Reports said that the typhoon would be small but powerful.
NASA advised on Oct. 11 that Typhoon Songda's maximum sustained winds were nearing 100 knots (115.1 mph/185.2 kph). Hurricane-force winds were prevailing up to 30 miles from the center point, while tropical storm-force winds extended just 90 miles.
However, on Oct. 12, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument at NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible image of Typhoon Songda's eye as it resurfaced. Through the instrucment, it was discovered that there were powerful thunderstorms circling around Typhoon Songda's cloud-filled eye.
According to NASA.govt, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center estimated that the ragged eye is about 23 nautical miles (26.4 miles/42.6 km) wide.
Reports from EurekAlert! stated, "(Infrared imagery showed that) central convection has begun to break down as indicated by the warming clouds. Furthermore, the overall structure has become more asymmetric with severe lengthening and disbandment along the northern peripheries."
At that time, NASA's final advisory stated that Songda was packed with 120.8 mph maximum sustained winds were near the center. After passing through southeast of Misawa, Japan, it was rapidly moving towards the open waters of the northwestern Pacific Ocean at 31 mph (27 knots/50 kph) and was becoming an extra-tropical.
