News Release

NASA's GPM looks inside Typhoon Goni GPM image of Goni

Peer-Reviewed Publication

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

GPM Image of Goni

image: The GPM passed over Goni on Aug. 17, 2015 at 0641 UTC when the storm was northwest of Guam. and saw strong storms around the eye were dropping heavy (red) rain at a rate of over 65 mm (2.6 inches) per hour. view more 

Credit: Credits: NASA/SSAI/JAXA, Hal Pierce

The Global Precipitation Measurement or GPM mission core satellite passed over Typhoon Goni and gathered data about its rainfall rates and powerful thunderstorms.

Typhoon Goni appears to be somewhat following the path of last week's Typhoon Soudelor. Last week deadly typhoon Soudelor caused at least 22 deaths in Taiwan and China.

On August 14 at 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT) Tropical Depression 16W was renamed Tropical Storm Goni. On August 16 at 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT), Goni strengthened into a typhoon.

The GPM core observatory satellite recently had two good views of intensifying Typhoon Goni that formed on August 14, 2015 in the same area of the Pacific Ocean as Typhoon Soudelor.

The GPM passed over Goni on August 17, 2015 at 0641 UTC when the storm was northwest of Guam. GPM revealed a well-defined eye. GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) discovered that strong storms surrounding Goni's eye were dropping rain at a rate of over 65 mm (2.6 inches) per hour.

At 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT), on August 17, Typhoon Goni had maximum sustained winds near 115 knots (132.3 mph/213 kph). It was centered near 17.4 North latitude and 139.3 East longitude, about 392 nautical miles (451 miles/726km) east-southeast of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. Goni was moving to the west-northwest at 12 knots (13.8 mph/22.2 kph).

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast calls for Goni to strengthen to 130 knots by August 20. It is expected to pass close to Luzon, Philippines and then turn to the northwest toward northern Taiwan.

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