Suomi NPP catches birth of northern Indian Ocean Tropical Cyclone Ockhi

Shortly after Tropical Cyclone Ockhi formed in the Northern Indian Ocean to the west of Sri Lanka, NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed over the storm and saw powerful bands of thunderstorms wrapping into its center from the northern quadrant.

On Nov. 30 at 3:24 a.m. EST (0824 UTC) NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed over Tropical Cyclone Ockhi. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured a visible image of the storm and showed powerful thunderstorms north of the center of circulation were spiraling into the center. The northwestern quadrant of the storm was over southwestern India.

On Nov. 30 at 10 a.m. EST (1500 UTC) Ockhi was located near 8.6 degrees north latitude and 75.2 degrees east longitude, about 100 nautical miles south-southwest of Cochin, India. The tropical storm had maximum sustained winds near 55 knots (6 3 mph/102 kph). Ockhi was moving to the west-northwest at 12 knots (13.8 mph/22.2 kph).

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecasts Ockhi to move to the northwest and away from the coast of southwestern India. Around Dec. 3, the storm is expected to turn back to the northeast where it is forecast to make landfall on Dec. 5 north of Mumbai.