The images in this EnvirocastTM TV update were captured by the MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard NASA's Terra satellite. They show tropical storm Tingting and typhoon Mindulle over west Pacific.

Tropical storm Tingting and typhoon Mindulle over west Pacific:

Zoom in to the eye of Typhoon Mindulle:

Typhoon Mindulle Brushes Philippines, Twain

Image was taken at 4:51 UTC on July 1 2004 by NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM)*. It shows a greatly weakened Mindulle hugging the east coast of Taiwan. The eyewall is gone and the center is surrounded by a large swirl of mostly light rain (blue areas). The heaviest rain rates are part of a large rain band that extends southwest of the center into the northern South China Sea. At this time, the maximum estimated winds were down to 75 knots (86 mph).

* TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

• As the northern Philippines island of Luzon recovers from its brush with Typhoon Mindulle, the island nation of Taiwan now bears the brunt of the storm.

• Mindulle was responsible for 16 fatalities and 17 missing persons in the Philippines mainly from flash floods and is now hitting the east coast of Taiwan with 75 mph winds.

• Mindulle formed into a tropical depression from a monsoon gyre back on the 23rd of June 2004 just west of the Northern Mariana Islands. Mindulle quickly reached tropical storm strength but only slowly intensified over the next few days before finally becoming a minimal typhoon on the 27th in the Philippine Sea. Next came a period of rapid development as Mindulle's maximum sustained winds increased from 65 knots (75 mph) to 125 knots (144 mph) within a span of just 30 hours, and it's forward speed decreased dramatically as it approached the northern Philippines.

• Up until this point, Mindulle had been moving mainly due west but now turned north taking it through the Babuyan and Batan islands north of the main island of Luzon. The storm increased its forward speed slowly and began to weaken as it passed through the Bashi Channel headed for Taiwan. Mindulle passed by the Hengchun Peninsula at the southern tip of Taiwan on the evening (local time) of the 30th of June before continuing up along the east coast of Taiwan.

Zoom in to the eye of Tropical storm Tingting:

• Tingting, at the time still a tropical storm, dumped record breaking rains on Guam over the weekend resulting in extensive flooding and mudslides. The weather service reported that 16 inches of rain fell on Sunday June 27 alone (local time).

• The tropical depression that would later become Tingting first formed on the 25th of June 2004 several hundred miles east-southeast of the southern Mariana Islands. The storm proceeded westward for a short while before turning northwest. The system slowly strengthened becoming a tropical storm the 26th and a minimal typhoon on the 28th as it passed north of Saipan in the central Marianas. After passing through the island chain, the storm turned northward and is expected to pass close to Iwo Jima.

MODIS image show tropical storm Tingting and Mindulle over west Pacific (with annotations).

MODIS image shows tropical storm Tingting and Mindulle over west Pacific (no annotation).

Image was taken at 4:51 UTC on July 1 2004 by NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). It shows a greatly weakened Mindulle hugging the east coast of Taiwan.  (with annotation).

Image was taken at 4:51 UTC on July 1 2004 by NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). It shows a greatly weakened Mindulle hugging the east coast of Taiwan.  (no annotation).