NASA image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
On November 3, Typhoon Peipah became the twenty-third storm of the 2007 typhoon season in the western Pacific. Though small, Peipah caused widespread flooding when it crossed the northern Philippines on November 5, forcing 500 people from their homes and killing five, reported Reuters.
The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite captured this image of Peipah on November 6, after the storm entered the South China Sea. At that time, the storm was a Category 1 typhoon with sustained winds of 140 kilometers per hour (86 miles per hour or 75 knots). TRMM recorded bands of heavy rain, shown in red, stretching around the north side of the center of the storm. The broad field of blue reveals that most of the rain is concentrated in the northern half of the storm.
According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Peipah was forecast to strengthen slightly before degrading and coming ashore over Vietnam. The storm was expected to inundate flood ed areas in Vietnam with additional, unwelcome rain. Since early October, nearly 200 people have died in floods in northern and central Vietnam, said Reuters.
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This image originally appeared on the Earth Observatory. Click here to view the full, original record.