Cyclone RENE Update 3 (13 Feb)

RENE Heading West

Tropical Cyclone RENE has slowed down and consolidated; it’s intensifying and pummeling American Samoa as it heads west.

Background:

• RENE Hovering Near PAGO-PAGO
• Slow Forward Motion May Help RENE to Strengthen

Tropical Cyclone RENE – IR-WV Difference Satellite Image – Source: UW-CIMSS. Click image to enlarge.

Tropical Cyclone RENE – NOAA GOES JSL2 IR CH4 Satellite Image- Date as inset. Click image to enlarge. Click here for the most recent update.

Tropical Cyclone RENE (TC 15P) Details

• Date/Time: 12 February 2010 –  13:00 UTC
• Position:  Near 14.3ºS, 169.8ºW
• Sustained Movement: 280 degrees
  
• Forward speed: 10 km/hr (~ 6 kt)
• Tropical Cyclone RENE has been tracking  WEST over the past 6 hours.
  

Current Wind Distribution:

• Maximum Sustained winds: ~ 157 km (~ 85 kt)
• Maximum Gusts:  ~ 195 km/hr (~ 105 kt)

Wave Height and Location:

• Maximum significant wave height: ~ 9m (26 ft)
  
• Location: TC RENE was located about 120 km (~ 70 NM) ENE of Pago-Pago
• Rene could intensify to a Cat 2B Hurricane [probability of 65 percent] possibly a Cat 3A Hurricane [probability of 45 percent] within the next 72 hours.
  
• Sources: CIMSS, JTWC and Others

Additional Satellite Imagery

NOAA East Pacific Floater 1 GOES Satellite Imagery – Cyclone FIFTEEN (TC 15P)

• Visible  Image – Java – Flash
• IR AVN  Image – Java – Flash
• IR Shortwave  Image – Java – Flash
• IR Dvorak*  Image – Java – Flash
• IR Unenhanced  Image – Java – Flash
• IR JSL  Image – Java – Flash
• IR RGB  Image – Java – Flash
• IR Funktop  Image – Java – Flash
• IR Rainbow  Image – Java – Flash
• Water Vapor  Image – Java – Flash

See also: UW- CIMSS Cyclone Portal

Recent Disasters in Samoa Islands Region

In September 2009, the Samoa tsunami killed more than 200 people in the Samoan islands and Tonga, destroying dozens of villages.

In January 2004, Cyclone Heta struck Samoa Islands and American Samoa, destroying or damaging more than 4,500 homes in American Samoa. Heta also  destroyed 90 percent of the crops in the region.

Related Links:

• Cyclone RENE (TC 15P) Update 2 (13 Feb)
• Cyclone RENE (TC 15P) Update 1 (12 Feb)
• Introducing Tropical Cyclone Fifteen (Cyclone RENE)
• FEWW Satellite Imagery Links Page