As Hurricane Emilia churns to the west off Mexico as a Category 4 storm, NASA reports that its Aqua satellite has measured cloud tops surrounding Emilia's eye to be colder than minus-94 degrees Fahrenheit.
The report referred to the phenomenon as a "cold stare." The readings mean the clouds are reaching high into the troposphere and boast extremely powerful thunderstorms.
Emilia, seen at right as viewed from NASA's Terra satellite, had featured sustained winds of 140 mph but on Tuesday morning winds had dropped to 130 mph.
The hurricane, which on Tuesday morning was located 685 miles south-southwest of Baja California's tip, is following on a path similar to that of its predecessor, Daniel (now a tropical storm).
Daniel on Tuesday was located 1,350 miles east of the Hawaiian Islands, which has prompted the National Hurricane Center to issue advisories for Hawaii.
Waiting in the wings, off southern Mexico, is System 98E, which on Tuesday was predicted to have a 50% chance of developing into a tropical cyclone.
-- Image is via NASA's Terra satellite
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