MSGID: 1:317/3 63e7d7c5   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   February 11, 2023 - Severe Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle   
      
      Gabrielle   
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      Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle sprung to life over the Coral Sea about 100   
      km (62 miles) off the coast of Queensland, Australia on February 8,   
      2023, and began to quickly intensify. By February 9, Gabrielle had   
      become a Severe Tropical Cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 100   
      mph (161 km/h), placing it at Category 2 strength on the Saffir-Simpson   
      Hurricane Wind Scale—and was still intensifying as it appeared to be   
      making a beeline to New Zealand’s North Island.   
      
      The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board   
      NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of Severe Tropical   
      Cyclone Gabrielle on the afternoon of February 9, as the storm was   
      strengthening. The convective bands of the large system stretched from   
      eastern Queensland to New Caledonia, bringing gusting winds, surf and   
      rain to both. Queensland can be seen to the west of Gabrielle while New   
      Caledonia, located to the southeast of the storm, is out of view just   
      off the edge of the image.   
      
      On the day the image was captured, as Gabrielle neared its peak   
      strength, the New Zealand Emergency Management Minister warned   
      residents of North Island, particularly Auckland, to prepare for the   
      worst, as Gabrielle is expected to pass close by between February   
      11-12. The small Norfolk Island, home to about 2,400 souls, declared a   
      Red Alert, expecting the cyclone to make landfall sometime between   
      February 10-11.   
      
      Fortunately, after peaking at 105 mph (169 km/h) early on February 10,   
      Gabrielle began to rapidly weaken. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology   
      (BOM) has kept the Red Alert for the Norfolk Islands, but it appears   
      likely that the center of the storm is likely to pass just offshore   
      rather than a direct hit. Steeply decreased winds will help islanders   
      greatly, although high waves, wind, and rain is likely to still prove   
      destructive.   
      
      At 4:00 p.m. EST (2100 UTC) on February 10, the Joint Typhoon Warning   
      Center (JTWC) issued its last advisory on Gabrielle. At that time,   
      maximum sustained winds had dropped to 63 mph (101 km/h) and the center   
      was located about 671 miles (1,080 km) northwest of Auckland, New   
      Zealand, which also means it was closely approaching Norfolk Island. At   
      that time, satellite imagery showed that the storm’s low-level   
      circulation had become ragged and fully exposed as central convection   
      rapidly collapsed and became severely sheared. Maximum significant wave   
      height was 35 feet (10.7 meters). The JTWC will monitor the system for   
      regeneration.   
      
      Image Facts   
      Satellite:  Terra   
      Date Acquired: 2/9/2023   
      Resolutions:  1km (1.6 MB),  500m (1.2 MB),   
      Bands Used: 1,4,3   
      Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC   
      
      
      
   https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2023-02-11   
       
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