Extreme High Swell Events on the Moroccan Atlantic Coast

4.0 Case Study 1 » 4.2 Step 1: Assess the Current Atmospheric and Marine Situation » 4.2.3 ASCAT Winds and WV 6.2 µm

Now we’ll look at ASCAT wind data, overlaying it first on satellite imagery and then on MSLP data.

The image shows ASCAT winds on 6 January between 1119 and 1126 UTC overlaid on an MSG WV 6.2 µm image from 6 Jan at 1200 UTC. As you can see, the ASCAT winds highlight the movement of the low-pressure system to the northeast (as evidenced by the strong winds).

ASCAT Wind Between 1119 UTC and 1126 UTC on 6 Jan 2014
with MSG WV 6.2 on 6 Jan 2014 at 1200 UTC

The MSG observation from 1200 UTC confirms that the two ASCAT swaths surround the most active area of low pressure (the cloudy areas).

The ASCAT data indicates the wind speeds associated with the system. They show southwest winds ranging from 40 to 50kt, which correspond to the low pressure moving northeast.