Satellite Image of the Day: September 21, 2005
 (click here for previous images of the day from RUSMART)

NOAA's Hydrometeorologial Prediction Center (HPC) "Daily National Forecast" image shows a daily national weather prediction

Satellites: NOAA-15 and NOAA-17, part of NOAA's 850km-high (530 mile-high) Polar Orbiting satellites

 Rita: Evolution From Tropical Storm to Hurricane
 The series of images below show the evolution of Rita from a tropical storm to a hurricane.
Hurricanes draw their remarkable power from evaporation of warm waters below them.
While Rita is dragging over both Cuba and the Florida peninsula, she can't draw much power since there is less water available for evaporation.
However, once she starts to clear Cuba and Florida, and gets over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, she is able to spin up into a full hurricane.
From these images, you can also see that her path will take her across the Gulf, towards the Texas coast.
The color key for the thermal images is at the bottom of the page.
For perspective, note that water freezes at 00C (320F), 200C is the same as 680F, and that -400C is the same temperature as -400F.

Click on the image(s) below for a higher-resolution (~100k) picture.
 

Tuesday, September 20, early morning
Tropical Storm Rita

Rita has the usual counterclockwise rotation of northern hemisphere mid-latitude storms, but does not have a well-defined eyewall characteristic of hurricanes.
The thermal image below shows that, while Rita does have decently-defined edges, there is no distinct eye at the moment.

Tuesday, September 20, late morning
Tropical Storm/Hurricane Rita

The eyewall of Rita is beginning to develop and she draws power from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
The thermal image below shows the developing eye more clearly than the visible image.
Note that the larger version of this image still shows the extra water (areas slightly darker than the dryer, lighter areas) still found in the locations devastated by Katrina.

Wednesday, September 21, early morning
Category 2 Hurricane Rita

This infrared image was taken before sunrise in the Gulf region. Rita's eye is seen to be fully developed.
The thermal image below shows how you can "see" all the way down to the surface of the warm ocean water in the calm eye of the hurricane.