Madagascar was plagued by two tropical cyclones in mid-January 2009. Cyclone Eric brushed the northeast coast on January 19, killing at least one person and leaving nearly a thousand homeless, according to news reports. Two days later, Cyclone Fanele made landfall on the southwest coast, bringing winds of nearly 210 kilometers per hour (130 miles per hour) and heavy rains.
This photo-like image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite on January 19 shows Fanele in the Mozambique Channel, just off the coast. Eric, which was a much smaller and weaker storm, is little more than a loose swirl of clouds at upper right.
The high-resolution image provided above is at MODIS’ full spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions.
References & Resources
- AP. (2009, January 21). Cyclone Fanele hits west coast of Madagascar. International Herald Tribune Website.
NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, Goddard Space Flight Center.
