NASA-NOAA’s Finland NPP satellite measured the cloud’s peak temperatures as it traversed a tropical storm over Malacca in the Northwest Pacific and found strong storms.

On September 13 at 0328 UTC (September 12 at 11:28 PM EDT), a satellite from NASA-NOAA’s Finnish nuclear power plant passed over Tropical Malacca and measured the temperatures atop the cloud. The VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) satellite from NASA-NOAA’s Finnish nuclear power plant took an infrared image of the storm, revealing the location of the coldest cloud temperatures and the strongest storms.

VIIRS data showed that cloud temperatures during heavy thunderstorms were as low as minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 62.2 degrees Celsius) around the center of rotation. Cold temperatures show a sharp rise in the storm and cloud peaks high in the troposphere. NASA research has shown that storms with cold clouds can cause heavy rainfall.

The tropical storm in Malacca, formerly known as Tropical Depression 18W, is intensifying. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) said on September 13 at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) Malacca was 842 miles east of Manila in the Philippines. Its center was close to 14.7 degrees north latitude and 135.5 degrees east longitude. The highest continuous winds in Malacca were close to 57 mph (50 knots / 92.6 km / h) and moving west at 15 mph (13 knots / 24.8 km / h).

A forecast from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center urges Malacca to move west-northwest and intensify the typhoon intensity. Later in the forecast period, Malacca is expected to turn north and stay far east from Taiwan on its way to Japan.