(Press-News.org) Cyclone Giovanna crossed over the island of Madagascar leaving flooding and damages in its wake and has now entered the Mozambique Channel. NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image that showed a ragged eye still exists, and the storm is regaining strength in the warm Channel waters.
Once Giovanna traversed the island nation of Madagascar and entered the Mozambique Channel, the body of water between Madagascar and Mozambique on the African mainland, NASA's Aqua satellite passed overhead and captured a visible image with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument.
MODIS captured the image at 10:45 UTC (5:45 a.m. EST) on February 15. The image showed that convection (rising air that forms the thunderstorms that make up the storm) had diminished greatly in the northwestern quadrant of the storm,. The MODIS image also showed that thunderstorms were now building around the rest of the tropical storm as a result ove moving into the warm waters of the Mozambique Channel. Sea surface temperatures of at least 80 Fahrenheit (26.6 Celsius) are needed to maintain a tropical cyclone, and temperatures in the Channel are as warm as ~88 Fahrenheit (31 Celsius).
On February 15, 2012 at 0300 UTC (Feb. 14 at 10 p.m. EST), Tropical Storm Giovanna's maximum sustained winds were near 40 knots (46 mph/74 kph). Tropical Cyclone Giovanna's center was located approximately 250 nautical miles west-southwest of Antananarivo, Madagascar, near 20.8 South and 42.4 East. It is moving to the west-southwest at 13 knots (15 mph/24 kph).
BBC News reports that at least two people died from storm related incidents, and the town Vatomandry, south of where Giovanna made landfall in east-central Madagascar, has experienced a lot of damage. BBC News reports that at least 60 percent of homes in the town were damaged or destroyed. Trees, phone and power lines have been downed, especially in eastern areas, as recovery efforts continue.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center uses satellite data and forecast computer models to create forecasts. The current forecast for Giovanna now takes it on a westerly track toward Mozambique by the week's end. The forecast also indicates that wind shear will increase, which will prevent the storm from strengthening further. Residents along the southeastern coast of Mozambique should monitor the path of this tropical storm.
INFORMATION:
NASA sees Cyclone Giovanna enter the Mozambique Channel
2012-02-16
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
British Airways Launches Travel Tip Videos for Half-Term Holidays
2012-02-16
With more than 900,000 people travelling with British Airways this February half-term, the airline is giving travellers a light-hearted helping hand with their top travel and baggage tips collected from their staff all over the airline.
The videos, which are located on YouTube, can be found at: http://bit.ly/y0jiLN (Travel) and http://bit.ly/xNZFgE (Baggage).
The videos include tips pertaining to travelling with small children, remaining comfortable when travelling between different climates, how to remember passports and other essentials, and practical packing and ...
Parent-training intervention curbs pediatric obesity rates, study shows
2012-02-16
A UCLA study has found that a new parent-training program is effective in reducing the risk of low-income, preschool-age Latino children being overweight.
Researchers found that after one year, there was a 9 percent reduction in overweight and obese children in the parent-training intervention group, while a control group that did not receive the parent training had a 16 percent increase in overweight and obese children.
"This is the first pilot intervention study that reversed the weight gain seen in preschool Latino children living in low-income families," said ...
Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa Sligo Wedding Competition Winners Revealed
2012-02-16
The Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa Sligo has revealed that Dublin based couple, Delia Teahan and Neil O'Donnell have won the wedding of their dreams with the hotel.
The competition was announced in the Sligo Champion, with hundreds of entries from couples longing to win a perfect wedding from the Rosses Point hotel. Ten deserving couples were chosen for the final and had to come face to face in the annual 'Wedding Olympics' competition which was held in the hotel.
There were several rounds in the Wedding Olympics, including going against the clock dressing their partner ...
Paving the way to Canada's next big industry -- the quantum information frontier
2012-02-16
Vancouver, B.C. — February 15, 2012 — We are on the cusp of a new information revolution — a quantum leap in technology — and the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) at the University of Waterloo is leading the way. With the world's largest concentration of researchers working to harness the forces of quantum mechanics, the institute stands to transform computing, communications and other technologies.
"We are learning to speak the language of the quantum realm — of atoms and electrons and molecules," says IQC Executive Director Raymond Laflamme. "By controlling nature's ...
Climate change threatens tropical birds
2012-02-16
SALT LAKE CITY -- Climate change spells trouble for many tropical birds – especially those living in mountains, coastal forests and relatively small areas – and the damage will be compounded by other threats like habitat loss, disease and competition among species.
That is among the conclusions of a review of nearly 200 scientific studies relevant to the topic. The review was scheduled for online publication this week in the journal Biological Conservation by Çağan Şekercioğlu (pronounced Cha-awn Shay-care-gee-oh-loo), an assistant professor of biology ...
Step in Style With the New Lipsy London Shoe Collection at Next
2012-02-16
Next are excited to launch their SS12 Lipsy shoe collection! From peeptoe heels to patent courts, the collection of fashionable footwear look great with Lipsy dresses, playsuits and pleated trousers alike.
The collection has pretty party platforms in hot pinks, electric blues and sorbet tones as well as classic black suede heels and shoe boots. Fashion favourites include the beautiful Tilly Criss Cross Wedges, with a flattering design of chunky wedges mixed with delicate dainty straps as well as the Tara courts in pink or animal print. Other new arrivals from Lipsy London ...
Teleflex Marine Introduces Innovative Optimus 360 By Seastar Joystick Control to Upgrade Twin Outboard Boats
2012-02-16
Boating industry innovator Teleflex Marine has launched Optimus 360 by SeaStar, a revolutionary joystick steering/shift/throttle control system engineered for powerboats with mechanically-controlled twin outboards. With Optimus 360 by SeaStar, those boat owners can now upgrade their control systems and enjoy easy, precise, intuitive control of their vessel.
Years in development and testing, Optimus 360 by SeaStar uses state-of-the-art electronics to provide easy 360-degree maneuvering capabilities when docking, negotiating crowded areas or loading a vessel onto a trailer. ...
Protein that functions in normal breast may also contribute to breast cancer metastasis
2012-02-16
Philadelphia, PA -- The trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) protein protects and maintains the integrity of the epithelial surface in the normal breast. New research has found that while TFF3 protein expression is higher in well-differentiated low grade tumors and therefore associated with features of a good prognosis, it has a more sinister role in breast cancer invasion and metastasis. The report is published in the March issue of the American Journal of Pathology.
"Our findings suggest that TFF3 is regulated by estrogen and has beneficial properties in breast epithelia," says ...
Organic foods may be an unsuspected source of dietary arsenic
2012-02-16
As people seek healthier dietary regimens they often turn to things labeled "organic." Lurking in the background, however, is an ingredient that may be a hidden source of arsenic—an element known to be both toxic and potentially carcinogenic.
Organic brown rice syrup has become a preferred alternative to using high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener in food. High fructose corn syrup has been criticized as a highly processed substance that is more harmful than sugar and is a substantial contributor to epidemic obesity. Unfortunately, organic brown rice syrup is not without ...
FeedVisor Launches the First Algorithmic Repricing Solution for e-Commerce Marketplaces
2012-02-16
CEO Victor Rosenman today announced the launch of FeedVisor's algorithmic repricing platform, that will simplify and irrevocably improve merchants' pricing strategies on e-Commerce marketplaces such as Amazon.com.
"FeedVisor's algorithmic repricing platform is fully automated and is designed to maximize e-Commerce marketplaces effectiveness and in turn, improve profitability," says Rosenman. "Other companies offer repricing tools that are needlessly overcomplicated. They are packed with features and have an extensive learning curve.
FeedVisor, on the ...