NASA's Aqua Satellite sees Tropical Depression Kay sevoid of strength

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Credits: NASA/NRL

NASA's Aqua satellite saw continually weakening Tropical Depression devoid of thunderstorms when it passed overhead early today, Aug. 23. At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Depression Kay was located near 22.7 degrees north latitude and 120.1 degrees west longitude. That's about 650 miles (1,045 km) west of the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico.

The depression was moving toward the west-northwest near 8 mph (13 kph) and the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said a gradual turn toward the west is forecast during the next 36 hours. Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 kph) with higher gusts.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite provided an infrared look at Tropical Depression Kay on Aug. 23 at 6:30 a.m. EDT (10:30 UTC). Kay had moved over cool waters near 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius) that sapped the convection (rising air that forms the thunderstorms that make up a tropical cyclone) and thunderstorm development. The MODIS image showed that Kay does not have any developing or existing thunderstorms. It just appears as swirl of low clouds.

The NHC said that unless the convection makes an unexpected return, the cyclone should degenerate to a remnant low pressure area later today. A turn back toward the west is likely before the system dissipates completely in two days.

Source: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center