NASA sees Marianas Islands at 5 o'clock within Typhoon Krovanh

When NASA's Terra satellite passed over the circular Typhoon Krovanh in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean, the Marianas Islands were in the storm's southeastern quadrant, and looked like five o'clock in the storm clouds' circulation.

NASA's Terra satellite passed over Krovanh on September 17, 2015 at 01:25 UTC (Sept. 16 at 9:25 p.m. EDT) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument captured a visible image of the storm. Krovanh had intensified into a typhoon and developed an eye that appears about 20 nautical miles wide. The storm also took on a more circular appearance and resembled the face of a clock, with the Marianas Islands in its southeastern quadrant, stretched out like a clock hand on the five position.

On September 17, 2015 at 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT), Typhoon Krovanh had maximum sustained winds near 95 knots (109.3 mph/175.9 kph). It was located near 22.6 North latitude and 143.2 East longitude, about 197 nautical miles southeast of Iwo To. Typhoon-force winds extend 35 nautical miles (40 miles/64.8 km) from the center, while tropical storm force winds extend 125 nautical miles (143 miles/231 km) from the center. Krovanh was moving to the northwest at 8 knots (9.2 mph/14.8 kph).

Krovanh is moving northwest and is intensifying. It is expected to pass just east of Iwo To island, Japan. Iwo To is the location of Kadena Air Base, home to the Air Force's largest combat wing—the 18th Wing—and a variety of associate units. For local weather bulletins at Kadena, visit: http://www.kadena.af.mil/.

After Krovanh passes Iwo To, it is expected to curve to the northeast where it will weaken over the cooler open waters of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean.