On Feb. 26, 2019, the VIIRS instrument aboard NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured a visible image of Tropical Cyclone Wutip in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. Credit: NASA Worldview, Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS)

NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed over the Northwestern Pacific Ocean and captured an image of Typhoon Wutip that revealed its eye was clouding over.

Wutip weakened rapidly from a to a typhoon on February 26 after running into wind shear. Early on Feb 26, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite showed the effects of that weakening in a visible image. The VIIRS image also showed that the once visible 25 nautical-mile wide eye had become cloud-filled as the storm weakened.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center noted the storm is weakening because northerly winds or is pushing the clouds and stretching the storm. Noted. Whenever a storm is no longer circular and elongates, it is a sign of weakening.

At 10 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) the Joint Typhoon Warning Center or JTWC noted that Wutip's maximum sustained winds dropped to 105 knots (121 mph/194 kph). By this time, the eye was no longer visible on .

Wutip's center was located near 15.5 degrees north latitude and 132.1 east longitude, that's approximately 313 nautical miles west-northwest of Guam. Wutip is moving to the north-northwest.

The that's affecting the storm is forecast to increase as Wutip moves into cooler sea surface temperatures, which will enhance weakening of the system. Wutip is forecast to weaken to a depression by February 28 or March 1.

Provided by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center