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Philippines

Philippines: NASA Spots Tropical Storm Tembin Form (Dec. 21, 2017 )

NASA's Terra satellite passed over the Northwestern Pacific Ocean and found newly formed Tropical Storm Tembin in the Philippine Sea as it was nearing the southeastern Philippines.

On Dec. 20 at 9:05 p.m. EST (Dec. 21 at 0205 UTC) the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, or MODIS, instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite captured a visible light image of Tropical Storm Tembin approaching the southern Philippines. Tembin had a rounded shape although no eye was visible. The western quadrant of the tropical storm was already over the east coast of Mindanao, southern Philippines.

On Dec. 18 at 4 a.m. EST (0900 UTC) the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) noted that Tropical Storm Tembin, known as Vinta in the Philippines, was located near 8.5 degrees north latitude and 128.4 degrees east longitude, about 297 nautical miles northwest of Sonsorol.

Maximum sustained winds were near 40 mph (35 knots/62 kph) and Tembin was moving to the west at 12.6 mph (11 knots/20.3 kph).

PAGASA, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, has posted many warnings in the Philippines for Dec. 21. Public storm warning signal No. 1 is in effect for the Mindanao provinces of Dinagat Island, Misamis Occidental, North Cotabato, Maguindanao, Rest of Davao Oriental, Northern Davao del Sur, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Zamboanga del Norte, and the Luzon provinces of Southern Leyte, southern portion of Leyte, Southern Cebu, Siquijor, Bohol, Southern Negros Occidental and Southern Negros Oriental.

Public storm warning signal No. 2 is in effect for the Mindanao provinces of Surigao del Norte including Siargao Islands, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Northern Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, and Lanao del Sur.

JTWC forecasts that Tembin will move west through the southern Philippine islands. Tembin is expected to move across the South China Sea and strengthen.

By Rob Gutro NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

Last Updated: Dec. 23, 2017 Editor: Lynn Jenner