Tropical Cyclone Imelda was still spinning over the southern Indian Ocean on April 15, 2013. The U.S. Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) reported that Imelda had maximum sustained winds of 65 knots (120 kilometers per hour) and gusts up to 80 knots (150 kilometers per hour). Located roughly 360 nautical miles (665 kilometers) east-northeast of Réunion, the storm was expected to move toward the southeast while gradually losing strength. The JTWC forecast map showed the storm taking a sharp westward turn around April 16.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this natural-color image on April 14, 2013. Imelda’s spiral arms extended over Mauritius, and some clouds also occurred over Réunion.
NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE/EOSDIS MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Caption by Michon Scott.
