Earth from Area: Hurricane Otis

The highly effective Hurricane Otis has been captured on this Copernicus Sentinel-3 picture when it was approaching Mexico’s southern Pacific coast in October 2023.

Zoom in to discover this picture at its full decision or click on on the circles to be taught extra. 

Initially labeled as a tropical storm, Otis was upgraded in simply 12 hours to a class 5 hurricane – probably the most harmful score for a hurricane – surprising forecasters and native authorities alike. With sustained winds reaching round 265 km per hour, Hurricane Otis turned the strongest on file to hit Mexico’s Pacific coast. After making landfall close to Acapulco, the hurricane started to weaken because it moved inland, leaving a path of devastation.

This picture, acquired on 24 October 2023 by Copernicus Sentinel-3’s Ocean and Land Color Instrument, reveals Hurricane Otis close to Acapulco, the place it made landfall the next day. The attention of the storm, which may be very clear to see, had a diameter of roughly 25 km.

Acapulco, which is dwelling to virtually a million folks is roofed by storm clouds within the picture. It was one of many worst locations hit. Mexico Metropolis, the nation’s large, densely populated capital, may be seen as a brown space within the cloud-free a part of the picture north of the hurricane. The Popocatépetl energetic volcano will also be noticed about 70 km southeast of Mexico Metropolis.

To assist emergency response efforts, each the International Charter Space and Major Disasters and the Copernicus Emergency Mapping Service had been triggered to produce maps, primarily based on satellite tv for pc information, of the affected areas.  

Hurricanes are one of many forces of nature that may be tracked by satellites. Well timed imagery from house may also help authorities take precautionary measures. Earth remark satellites are the very best technique of offering essential details about storms, together with measurement, wind pace and path, as effectively about options that contribute to the intensification of hurricanes, resembling cloud thickness, temperature, and water and ice content material.

Due to its day by day revisits and spatial decision, Copernicus Sentinel-3 is effectively geared up to measure, monitor and perceive such large-scale world dynamics and supply important data in near-real time for ocean and climate forecasting.