Tropical Cyclone Ava was moving south-southwest along Madagascar’s coast when the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on Suomi NPP captured this natural-color image on January 5, 2018.
The storm made landfall in Toamasina, with maximum sustained winds of 167 kilometers (103 miles per hour), the equivalent of a category 2 hurricane. Forecasters expect Ava to produce heavy rains, strong winds, and flooding as it moves south along the coast in the coming days.
References & Resources
- AccuWeather (2018, January 5) Tropical Cyclone Ava to inundate Madagascar with life-threatening flooding, mudslides. Accessed January 5, 2018.
- African Times (2018, January 5) Tropical Cyclone Ava makes landfall on Madagascar. Accessed January 5, 2018.
- Relief Web (2018, January 5) Tropical Cyclone Ava. Accessed January 5, 2018.
- U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center (2018, January 5) Tropical Cyclone Ava. Accessed January 5, 2018.
NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE/EOSDIS Rapid Response. Caption by Adam Voiland.












