Tropical Depression Nuri now haunting the western Pacific Ocean

Tropical Depression Nuri formed on Halloween morning, October 31, and is haunting the waters of the western North Pacific Ocean. NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured a ghostly-white image of the storm.

When Suomi NPP flew over Tropical Depression Nuri on Oct. 31 at 3:36 UTC, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite or VIIRS instrument aboard captured an infrared image of the storm. The infrared data shows temperature, an indicated that there were very high thunderstorms with very cold cloud top temperatures surrounding the center of the low level circulation and in south of the center.

VIIRS is a scanning radiometer that collects visible and infrared imagery and "radiometric" measurements. Basically it means that VIIRS data is used to measure cloud and aerosol properties, ocean color, sea and land surface temperature, ice motion and temperature, fires, and Earth's albedo (reflected light).

On Oct. 31 at 0900 UTC (5 a.m. EDT), Nuri had maximum sustained winds near 30 knots (34.5 mph/55.5 kph). It was centered near 12.7 north latitude and 136.0 east longitude. That puts Nuri's center about 211 nautical miles (242.8 miles/390.8 km) north-northwest of Yap. Nuri has tracked westward at 8 knots (9.2 mph/14.8 kph).

Nuri is forecast to strengthen into a tropical storm and reach typhoon strength by Nov. 1. The storm is expected to curve toward the northwest, then turn northeast over the next couple of days, while remaining over the open waters of the western North Pacific Ocean.