Huge North Atlantic Ocean Storm Produces Stunning Satellite Imagery

Chris Dolce
Published: March 28,2017
A huge ocean storm spinning in the north Atlantic Ocean this week is making for stunning satellite imagery.
The images are of an intense low-pressure system that saw its minimum central pressure drop to 958 millibars Monday. Hurricane-force winds were detected by satellite at that time over the open north Atlantic waters, according to NOAA's Ocean Prediction Center. Wave heights maxed out at 45 feet near the low-pressure center.
This particular storm will weaken the next couple of days, but another low of similar intensity could develop in the same general area by late this week. Both storms are likely to produce high surf along coastal Ireland and Portugal.
(MORE: First Images of GOES-16 Lightning Mapper)
First is a closeup view of the low-pressure center Tuesday morning from NOAA's new GOES-16 satellite.

GOES-16 satellite animation from Tuesday morning. This data is still non-operational. On the upper left side of the image is Newfoundland which saw wind gusts over 50 mph. (NOAA/SSEC/University of Wisconsin)

Water vapor imagery from GOES-16 also showed the spinning center of the low nicely on Monday.

GOES-16 satellite animation from Monday. This data is still non-operational. (NOAA/SSEC/University of Wisconsin)

For perspective on how large the storm is, here is another visible image from NASA's Modis Aqua satellite on Monday. Visible satellite imagery shows how the storm would generally look like with the naked eye from space.

(NASA)

Here is some more imagery showing the powerful storm.

Another view of the storm Tuesday morning in relation to Europe on the right. (Dundee Satellite Receiving Station)

Water vapor satellite image of the storm Tuesday morning. (NASA)

Another large ocean storm may form in this same general area late this week.
That storm will develop as the remnants of Invest 90-L and a weather system moving off the U.S. East Coast merge together while intensifying. Invest 90-L was the system we were watching for possible development into a named subtropical storm last weekend into early week.

MORE: The Earth as Art

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.