June 26, 2009
Tropical Wave 93L promises local heavy rains for Yucatan and Cuba
Hurricane Season 2009: Tropical Wave 93L (Western Caribbean)
A tropical wave has formed in the western Caribbean off the Nicaraguan coast and is headed westward towards the Yucatan Peninsula. It will bring locally heavy rains to western Cuba, the Cayman Islands and Central America and may become a tropical cyclone within the next 48 hours if it threads the eye of the needle between Cancun and the western tip of Cuba rather than going ashore.
NASA's Aqua satellite flew over the Caribbean tropical wave from space, and data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), aboard Aqua captured a view of the extent of its cold clouds. The infrared image, created on June 26 at 2:59 a.m. EDT (6:59 UTC) shows disturbance 93L's cold clouds in purple and blue. Those areas in purple have temperatures as cold or colder than 220 Kelvins or minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit. The blue areas are around 240 Kelvins, or minus 27 degrees Fahrenheit. The colder the clouds are, the higher they are, and the more powerful the thunderstorms are that make up the cyclone.
Ed Olsen, NASA JPL