Phenomena: Tropical Cyclones, Hurricanes
Satellite: NOAA-20
Product: True Color RGB
Instrument: VIIRS
Date: September 4, 2024

On Sept. 4, 2024, the VIIRS instrument on board NOAA’s JPSS Program satellites captured this True Color imagery of Typhoon Yagi in the South China Sea, approximately 240 nautical miles southeast of Hong Kong. True Color imagery closely resembles what would be seen with the naked eye from space. 

Typhoon Yagi formed as a tropical storm on Sept. 1, 2024, in the western Philippine Sea. It crossed the islands, dumping 10 inches (25cm) of rain on the city of Luzan before moving westward toward the South China Sea. With sustained wind speeds of around 125 miles per hour, Yagi  is currently the equivalent of  a Category 3 Atlantic hurricane. 

The NOAA-20 satellite is part of the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS). JPSS is the Nation’s advanced series of polar-orbiting environmental satellites. JPSS represents significant technological and scientific advancements in observations used for severe weather prediction and environmental monitoring. These data are critical to the timeliness and accuracy of forecasts three to seven days in advance of a severe weather event. JPSS is a collaborative effort between NOAA and NASA.