image: The MODIS instrument captured this image of Tropical Storm Francisco spreading clouds over the big island of Japan on Oct. 25 at 01:45 UTC. Typhoon Lekima is seen to the right. view more
Credit: Credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team
Cold air, mid-latitude westerly winds and wind shear are taking a toll on Tropical Storm Francisco and transitioning the storm into a cold core low pressure area. NASA's Terra satellite captured an image of Francisco as it spread a blanket of clouds and showers over Japan on Oct. 25.
The MODIS instrument or Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer captured an image of Tropical Storm Francisco spreading clouds over the big island of Japan on Oct. 25 at 01:45 UTC. The image shows a large area of clouds from Francisco's northern quadrant streaming over the entire big island and into the South China Sea. In the image, the western side of Typhoon Lekima was visible. Lekima is located east of Francisco.
On Oct. 25 at 1500 UTC/11 a.m. EDT, Tropical Storm Francisco had maximum sustained winds near 45 knots/51.7 mph/83.3 kph. Francisco was centered near 30.4 north and 136.1 east, about 416 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, Japan. Francisco was moving to the east-northeast at 17 knots/19.5 mph/31.4 kph.
Francisco is now embedded in the mid-latitude westerlies [winds] and is being pushed to the northeast. Satellite imagery shows that the most convection is occurring over the northwest and that cold air has been affecting the system with the presence of stratocumulus clouds in that quadrant.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is expecting Francisco to continue transitioning to an extra-tropical storm and cold-core low pressure area, while moving in a northeasterly direction over the next couple of days. Francisco's center is expected to remain east of the big Island of Japan.
Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center