NASA has captured live images of the tropical storm Tembin, locally known as Vinta, which has made landfall in southern Philippines on Saturday, December 23. The Aqua satellite passed over the Malay Peninsula and captured the tropical depression over Mindanao. At least 30 people have been killed due to the heavy rains, said a disaster management official. 19 victims are from Lanao del Norte, three from Bukidnon and one from Iligan province.
Tropical storm Kai-Tak or Urduja is currently in a state of dissipation in the Gulf of Thailand with strong vertical wind shear. Infrared data and images from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite showed Kai-Tak dissipating on December 21 at 1.59 pm EST. The storm has already claimed about 30 lives and close to 50 people have been reported missing in the Philippines. Now, the coldest cloud tops, having temperature less than minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit and capable of causing heavy rainfall, are scattered over open water in the Gulf of Thailand.
The last bulletin about tropical depression Kai-Tak or Urduja at 10 pm EST by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center noted winds up to 46.3 kph and stated that the storm was moving southwest and was about 297 miles north-northeast of Singapore. It is expected to further move apart and disperse by Saturday, December 22.
On December 21, 12.17 pm EST, infrared data from AIRS showed coldest cloud tops and strongest storms spread across entire Mindanao, with temperatures below minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit. As of Friday, 10 am EST, Vinta had winds of about 83 kph and was located 401 miles south of Manila, Philippines. It was seen moving towards the island of Palawan in the Philippines. Now, Vinta has hit the Philippines ahead of time, causing widespread destruction in the country already affected by Kai-Tak.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) issued a severe weather bulletin for tropical storm Vinta, with warnings of heavy rainfall over Visayas, Mindanao and the rest of MIMAROPA within Sunday. Public storm warning signal #1 has been issued over Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del Norte Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay of Mindanao, along with Southern Negros Oriental and Siquijor of Visayas and Luzon provinces of southern Palawan.
Tembin or Vinta is expected to move towards the South China Sea after making landfall on the Philippines. It will make a second landfall near Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on Christmas Day, according to experts.
