October 25, 2010

NASA Satellites Capture Richard's Rainfall, Now a Depression


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NASA's TRMM satellite saw Richard was dropping moderate to heavy
rainfall over Honduras and very heavy rainfall over water north of the
center of circulation while moving westward on Oct. 24 at 1017 UTC (6:17
a.m. EDT). The yellow and green areas indicate moderate rainfall
between .78 to 1.57 inches per hour. Red areas are heavy rainfall at
almost 2 inches per hour.
Image Credit: NASA/SSAI, Hal Pierce


NASA satellites have watched as Richard went through a couple of
life-transitions over the weekend. Richard developed into a tropical
storm last week, intensified into a hurricane and made landfall in
Belize and is now a tropical depression, poised to enter western Gulf of
Mexico.


Richard formed in the Caribbean Sea on 20 October 2010. The Tropical
Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite flew over Richard twice on
Sunday, Oct. 24. The first time was at 0203 UTC (10:05 p.m. EDT Oct.
23). At that time, TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar
(PR) data showed that Richard was dropping moderate to heavy rainfall
over Honduras and very heavy rainfall over water north of the center of
circulation while moving westward.


The second time TRMM passed over Richard was at 1017 UTC (6:17 a.m.
EDT). Those TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) data showed that an eye was
forming and Richard had become the tenth hurricane of the 2010 season.
The eye of category one hurricane Richard with winds estimated at 78
knots (90 mph) hit Belize on Sunday, Oct. 24 at about 0300 UTC (9:00
p.m. EDT Oct. 23). Richard then rapidly weakened to a tropical storm as
it moved over north-eastern Guatemala.


By Monday, Oct. 25 at 11 a.m. EDT, Richard's maximum sustained winds
were down to 35 mph making him a tropical depression. Richard was
located about 145 miles south of Campeche, Mexico near latitude 17.8
North and longitude 90.2 West. The depression is moving toward the
west-northwest near 8 mph. A turn toward the northwest is expected
within the next day or two. Estimated minimum central pressure is 1006
millibars. There are no watches and warnings currently in effect.


The TRMM satellite is keeping an eye on Richard's rainfall, and it is
expected to continue diminishing over the next day. Today, the Yucatan
Peninsula can expect additional rainfall accumulations up to 1 to 2
inches in a few areas across the Mexican states of Quintana Roo and
Campeche.


On the forecast track the center will emerge into the southwestern Gulf
of Mexico on Tuesday morning and he is expected to continue weakening.
He is forecast to become a remnant low pressure area in the next day or
two. The National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla. noted that
southwesterly Wind shear along with dry air should preclude regeneration
and Richard is likely to degenerate into a remnant low in a couple of
days.