CIMSS Satellite Blog

Himawari-8 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.4 µm) images [click to play MP4 animation]

West Pacific Typhoon Jebi underwent a period of very rapid intensification on 30 August 2018 (ADT | SATCON), reaching Category 5 Super Typhoon intensity. Rapid-scan (2.5 minute interval) Himawari-8 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.4 µm) images (above) showed that Jebi began to exhibit an annular appearance with a nearly symmetric eyewall as it moved through the Northern Mariana Islands (north of Guam). The eye passed just south of the uninhabited volcanic island of Pagan around 16 UTC on 30 August.

Himawari-8 “Red” Visible images (below) revealed mesovortices within the eye of Jebi.

Himawari-8 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images [click to play MP4 animation]

As Jebi tracked west-northwestward, products from the CIMSS Tropical Cyclones site showed that it had been moving over waters having high values of Sea Surface Temperature and Ocean Heat Content (below).

Track of Jebi, with Sea Surface Temperature and Ocean Heat Content [click to enlarge]

A 48-hour animation of the MIMIC-TC product (below) showed the evolution of the Jebi from 29-31 August. The storm was completing an eyewall replacement cycle near the end of the animation, with the eye becoming distinctly larger.

In a comparison of DMSP-16 SSMIS Microwave (85 GHz) and Himawari-8 Infrared Window (10.4 µm) images at 1900 UTC (below), the Microwave data helped to better visualize the structure of the large eyewall in addition to a long, narrow spiral band wrapping inward toward the eye.

DMSP-16 SSMIS Microwave (85 GHz) and Himawari-8 Infrared Window (10.4 µm) images [click to enlarge]

from CIMSS Satellite Blog http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes/blog/archives/29616