On December 6, 2019, Tropical Cyclone Belna was strengthening as it spun over the Southern Indian Ocean north of Madagascar. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of the storm on that same day. The image showed bands of thunderstorms wrapping into the low-level center from the west. Animated multispectral satellite imagery shows deep, rapidly cycling convection wrapping into a well-defined low-level circulation center.

At 10 a.m. EST (1500 UTC) on December 6, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) noted that Tropical Cyclone Belna was located near 7.9 degrees south latitude and 48.7 degrees east longitude. That is about 863 nautical miles west-southwest of St. Denis, La Reunion Island. Belna is moving to the southwest. Maximum sustained winds were estimated at 63 mph (102 km/h).

Forecasters at the JTWC said that Belna is expected to turn to the south-southwest and intensify to about 104 mph (167 km/h) before making landfall in northwestern Madagascar between December 8 and 9.

Image Facts

Satellite: Aqua

Date Acquired: 12/6/2019

Resolutions: , ,

Bands Used: 1,4,3

Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC