(Press-News.org) Cyclone Rusty has been moving very slow over the last two days on its approach to landfall near Port Hedland in Western Australia, and NASA satellites have observed the storm's increase in power. NASA's TRMM and Aqua satellites provided rainfall, cloud height and temperature data that showed Cyclone Rusty intensified as it neared land.
Rusty is a large storm and its slow movement means more rainfall, more flooding potential, increasingly rough surf and a longer period of tropical-storm-force winds along the Pilbara coast.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (ABOM) noted on Feb. 26 that forecasters there expect Rusty to resume a southerly track towards the Pilbara coast during Wednesday, Feb. 27 local time. According to ABOM, wind gusts to 120 kilometers per hour (74.5 mph) have already been experienced in Port Hedland and ABOM expects conditions to degrade on Wednesday, Feb. 27.
NASA Satellites Provide Inside Look in Rusty
NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Cyclone Rusty on on Feb. 24, 25 and 26 capturing two different views of the storm that showed forecasters that Rusty was maintaining organization as it nears the coast.
The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on Aqua gathered three days of infrared data that showed the development of Cyclone Rusty on Feb. 24 at 0553 UTC, Feb. 25 at 1728 UTC and Feb. 26 at 0535 UTC). The AIRS data showed that the storm became more circular and developed an eye on Feb. 26 while still remaining off-shore. AIRS infrared data also showed powerful thunderstorms with cloud top temperatures colder than -63 Fahrenheit (-52 Celsius) surrounding the eye of the storm and dropping heavy rainfall.
On Feb. 26, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument provided visible image and a clear view of Rusty's eye as it neared Port Hedland, Western Australia.
Tropical cyclone Rusty's winds had increased to hurricane intensity when NASA's TRMM satellite flew directly above on Feb. 26, 2013 at 0654 UTC (1:54 a.m. EST). A rainfall analysis derived from TRMM data found that the heaviest surface rain was coming down at a rate of over 138 mm (~5.4 inches) per hour. This intense band of rainfall was located within strong thunderstorms located in Rusty's western eye wall.
A 3-D image or Rusty's rainfall and cloud heights was created by the TRMM team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The data used was from TRMM's Precipitation Radar (PR) data and showed that the tops of some towering thunderstorms in Rusty's eye wall were reaching heights of over 12 km (~7.5 miles).
VIDEO:
This 3-D image derived from NASA's TRMM satellite Precipitation Radar data on February 26, 2013 at 0654 UTC showed that the tops of some towering thunderstorms in Rusty's eye wall...
Click here for more information.
Where is Rusty?
At 0900 UTC (4 a.m. EST) on Feb. 26, slow-moving Rusty had maximum sustained winds near 75 knots (86.3 mph/138.9 kph). It was centered near 19.4 south and 119.2 east, about 335 nautical miles (385.5 miles 620.4 km) east-northeast of Learmonth, Australia and crawling to the south-southeast at 3 knots (3.4 mph/5.5 kph). Hurricane-force winds extend out 25 miles (28.7 miles/ 46.3 km) from the center, while tropical-storm-force winds extend over 100 nautical miles (115 miles/185 km) from the center making the storm 200 miles (230 miles/370 km) in diameter. Rusty is currently generating 19-foot (5.8 meter)-high-seas.
Watches and Warnings in Effect
On Feb. 26 at 1551 UTC (10:51 a.m. EST/11:51 p.m. WST local time/Australia), the ABOM website noted the following warnings and watches for Cyclone Rusty:
"DFES State Emergency Service (SES) advises of the following community alerts: RED ALERT: People in or near communities between Pardoo and Whim Creek, including Port Hedland and South Hedland need to go to shelter immediately; YELLOW ALERT: People in communities between Wallal and Pardoo, extending inland to Marble Bar need to take action and get ready to shelter from a cyclone; BLUE ALERT: People in communities between Bidyadanga and Wallal and between Whim Creek and Mardie, including Karratha and extending to inland areas including Nullagine and Millstream, need to prepare for cyclonic weather."
Rusty is now moving along the western edge of a subtropical high pressure system that's centered over central Australia. Forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center noted that Rusty may intensify over the next 12 hours as the eye nears the coast.
The cyclone will make landfall near Port Hedland and begin to weaken as it interacts with land and wind shear increases.
INFORMATION:
NASA satellites see slow-moving Cyclone Rusty before landfall
2013-02-27
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Libertarian paternalism and school lunches: Guiding healthier behavior while preserving choices
2013-02-27
In January 2012, the United States Department of Agriculture passed a series of regulations designed to make school lunches more nutritious, which included requiring schools to increase whole grain offerings and making students select either a fruit or vegetable with their purchased lunch. However, children cannot be forced to eat these healthier lunches. In a new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers determined that small, inexpensive changes to school cafeterias influenced the choice and consumption of healthier foods.
Andrew S. ...
Study: Same-sex cohabitors less healthy than those in heterosexual marriages
2013-02-27
WASHINGTON, DC, February 21, 2013 — Same-sex cohabitors report worse health than people of the same socioeconomic status who are in heterosexual marriages, according to a new study, which may provide fuel for gay marriage proponents.
"Past research has shown that married people are generally healthier than unmarried people," said Hui Liu, lead author of the study and an assistant professor of sociology at Michigan State University. "Although our study did not specifically test the health consequences of legalizing same-sex marriage, it's very plausible that legalization ...
Brandeis University study finds public policy, institutional barriers are pushing racial wealth gap
2013-02-27
New research shows the dramatic gap in household wealth that now exists along racial lines in the United States cannot solely be attributed to personal ambition and behavioral choices, but rather reflects policies and institutional practices that create different opportunities for whites and African-Americans.
So powerful are these government policies and institutional practices that for typical families, a $1 increase in average income over the 25-year study period generates just $0.69 in additional wealth for an African-American household compared with $5.19 for a white ...
Studying the health of same-sex couples
2013-02-27
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Same-sex couples that live together report worse health than people of the same socioeconomic status who are in heterosexual marriages, according to a national study that could have implications for the gay marriage debate.
Research has shown that married people are healthier than the unmarried. Yet, while gay marriage is gaining support in Michigan and around the country, most same-sex cohabiters do not have the option of legally marrying their partners, noted Hui Liu, Michigan State University sociologist and lead investigator on the study.
While ...
Mental health-substance use services in hospitals up after parity law, finds new report
2013-02-27
WASHINGTON, DC —The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 ("Parity Act") increased access to mental health and substance use services in hospitals, yet consumers continued to pay more out-of-pocket for substance use admissions than for other types of hospital admissions, finds a new Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) report.
The report is one of the first of its kind to look at hospital spending, utilization, prices, and out-of-pocket payments for mental health and substance use admissions for those younger than age 65 ...
New fabrication technique could provide breakthrough for solar energy systems
2013-02-27
A novel fabrication technique developed by a University of Connecticut engineering professor could provide the breakthrough technology scientists have been looking for to vastly improve the efficiency of today's solar energy systems.
For years, scientists have studied the potential benefits of a new branch of solar energy technology that relies on nanosized antenna arrays theoretically capable of harvesting more than 70 percent of the sun's electromagnetic radiation and simultaneously converting it into usable electric power.
But while nanosized antennas that also serve ...
IU discovery on animal memory opens doors to research on memory impairment diseases
2013-02-27
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- If you ask a rat whether it knows how it came to acquire a certain coveted piece of chocolate, Indiana University neuroscientists conclude, the answer is a resounding, "Yes." A study newly published in the journal Current Biology offers the first evidence of source memory in a nonhuman animal.
The findings have "fascinating implications," said principal investigator Jonathon Crystal, both in evolutionary terms and for future research into the biological underpinnings of memory, as well as the treatment of diseases marked by memory failure such as ...
Jefferies trader charged in $2 million investment fraud scheme
2013-02-27
Jefferies trader charged in $2 million investment fraud scheme
Article provided by Stone Bonner & Rocco LLP
Visit us at http://www.lawssb.com
As the nation has begun to recover from the effects of the financial crisis, it has become clear that the economic turmoil was caused -- at least in part -- by unscrupulous practices in the mortgage and securities industries. In an effort to prevent similar events from happening again, federal regulators have been cracking down on suspected cases of securities fraud.
In January 2013, federal authorities arrested a former ...
Recent recall prompts discussion of product liability
2013-02-27
Recent recall prompts discussion of product liability
Article provided by The Law Offices of Gold, Albanese & Barletti
Visit us at http://www.goldandalbanese.com
In December 2012, the maker of the popular magnets Buckyballs officially discontinued the product after a months-long dispute with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The dispute prompts a closer look at consumer product safety and how manufacturers and sellers can be held responsible for injuries caused by defective products.
Say goodbye to Buckyballs
Buckyballs were powerful, rare-earth ...
Uncontested divorce may not be as simple as it seems
2013-02-27
Uncontested divorce may not be as simple as it seems
Article provided by The Law Office of Silverman, Vorhis & Doan
Visit us at http://www.lawgainesville.com
Trends in the legal industry may lead consumers to think that traditional legal services are unnecessary. Uncontested divorce provides a good example of a false notion that legal services can be replaced by a canned, boilerplate process. There are even services that claim to provide the means to complete an uncontested divorce entirely online. While saving money can be a powerful incentive, when dealing ...