NASA's TRMM Satellite sees Tropical Depression 2-E dissipating

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NASA, Hal Pierce

The National Hurricane Center issued the final advisory on the Eastern Pacific Ocean's second tropical depression (2-E) on June 17 at 11 a.m. EDT. NASA satellite imagery from mid-afternoon that day revealed the depression's rains were waning, and the heaviest rainfall was over open ocean. As of June 18 Tropical Depression 2-E had dissipated off the coast. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite known as TRMM measures rainfall from space. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese Space Agency and is a critical tool for forecasters of tropical cyclones because it can tell the rate of rainfall in a storm, acting as a "rain gauge from space." TRMM's satellite image of Tropical Depression 2-E (TD2-E) on June 17 at 19:59 UTC (3:59 p.m. EDT) showed that moderate rainfall was occurring over the ocean, off the western Mexican coast. TRMM showed that light rain was falling over Oaxaca at that time.

On June 18 at 9 a.m. EDT, weather stations in Oxaca were reporting overcast conditions (at 10,000 feet), light drizzle, and a light wind of 2 mph from the northwest. Acapulco, located to the north-northwest of Oxaca is just reporting overcast skies with calm winds.

The last official position of Tropical Depression 2-E at 11 a.m. EDT was 35 miles south of Punto Maldonado, Mexico, near 15.8 North and 98.6 West. At that time, TD2-E still had maximum sustained winds near 30 mph, and a minimum central pressure of 1008 millibars.

The government of Mexico discontinued all tropical storm watches and warnings by mid-day on June 17.

Source: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center