Tropical Cyclone Dina is buffeting the islands of Mauritius (obscured by cloud) and Reunion (to the southwest) in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Madagascar (far left). This true-color MODIS image was made from data acquired on January 21, 2002, at roughly 11:00 am local time. Dina is a powerful storm, with maximum sustained winds of over 138 miles per hour with gusts up to 167 mph as of Tuesday, January 22. Wind gusts are predicted to increase to over 195 mph, and the seas around the islands are roiling, with waves as high as 40 ft.
Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC.
