July 11, 2013 - Tropical Storm Chantal (03L) off Brazil

Tropical Storm Chantal (03L) off Brazil

The third storm of the Atlantic hurricane season formed in tropical central Atlantic Ocean on the afternoon of July 7, 2013, and the National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued the first advisory on the storm at 11:00 p.m. EDT that same day (03:00 UTC July 8). At that time, Tropical Storm Chantal was located about 865 mi (1390 km) east south east of Barbados, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h). The storm was traveling towards the Lesser Antilles with wind speeds of 26 mph (42 km/h).

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of the forming storm at 16:50 UTC (12:15 p.m.) on July 7. At that time, the storm was showing significant circulation and the center was filled with high clouds. It was located off the coast of Brazil.

As Chantal strengthened, maximum sustained winds reached 65 mph (100 km/h) as it raced westward at up to 29 mph (46.6 km/h). A moderate amount of heavy rain accompanied the storm, mostly located to the south and east of center, and Tropical Storm Chantal remained relatively small and compact throughout its life.

Flooding and power outages have been reported in Dominica, but as of July 10, when the storm dissipated as it skirted Haiti and Dominica, widespread severe damage has not been reported.

Although the NHC issued the last advisory on Chantal on July 10 at 5:00 p.m. EDT, the remnant wave contains heavy rain and strong winds. Heavy rains may still soak Haiti and Hispaniola before moving across Jamaica and Cuba, then towards the Florida/Georgia coast.

Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 7/7/2013
Resolutions: 1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC