Tropical Cyclone Bianca [detail]

NASA image acquired January 28, 2011 High res file here: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/5400445475">www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/5400445475</a> Tropical Cyclone Bianca continued moving southward along the coast of Western Australia on January 28, 2011. At 5:00 a.m. on January 28 local time (21:00 UTC on January 27), the U.S. Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) reported that Bianca was located about 135 nautical miles (250 kilometers) west of Learmonth, Western Australia. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 90 knots (165 kilometers per hour) and gusts up to 110 knots (205 kilometers per hour), having intensified over the previous day. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this natural-color image at 2:30 p.m. Western Australia time (6:30 UTC) on January 28, 2011. Bianca spans hundreds of kilometers, and the storm’s eye appears west-southwest of Learmonth. The JTWC forecast that Bianca would continue strengthening for about 12 more hours then begin to weaken, thanks to reduced sea surface temperatures and increased vertical wind shear. NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Caption by Michon Scott. Instrument: Aqua - MODIS To view more images of this event go to: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/event.php?id=48914" rel="nofollow">earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/event.php?id=48914</a> Credit: <b><a href="http://www.earthobservatory.nasa.gov/" rel="nofollow"> NASA Earth Observatory</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Join us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b>