This is what three hurricanes look like from space

BY MIRIAM KRAMER

A new video from NASA shows all three powerful hurricanes currently churning waters on Earth as seen by the International Space Station in one day.

Two hurricanes in the Pacific — Madeline and Lester — have the potential to threaten Hawaii, and Hurricane Gaston is still in the open Atlantic Ocean.

All three of them are on stark display in the new time-lapse video taken on Aug. 30 from the Space Station.

The station’s cameras were able to capture all of these storms in one day thanks to the incredible speed at which the outpost is moving.

In order to stay in orbit, the laboratory needs to speed above Earth at more than 17,000 miles per hour, making a full circuit of the planet every 90 minutes, and giving astronauts an amazing view of all of Earth’s landscapes.

A 10-minute NASA video also shows more footage of the storms as captured by cameras on the station.

If Madeline or Lester were to make landfall on the Big Island of Hawaii, it would be the first time a hurricane were to do so since record-keeping began in 1949.

Hurricane Madeline is now considered a Category 3 storm, with sustained winds of 115 miles per hour, and it has a real chance of threatening the Big Island with high winds, rain and surf.

The National Weather Service issued a hurricane warning for the Big Island, with conditions expected to hit hurricane status within 36 hours there.

Hawaii is usually a pretty inhospitable place for hurricanes because it’s surrounded by somewhat cool waters that weaken tropical storms and hurricanes that make it into the area.

This year, however, the waters are warmer than average for this time of year, making the area more friendly for storms.

The statistical peak of the Atlantic hurricane season occurs on Sept. 10, and forecasters are watching another storm emerging off Africa that could develop into a hurricane in the next week.

iNews EDITOR: IT DID AND MUCH MORE!! [MONSTER MATTHEW was one of SIX)

IMAGES:
Hurricanes Madeline (left) and Lester (right).
IMAGE: EARTH.NULLSCHOOL.NET

(From left) Hurricanes Lester, Madeline and Gaston are seen from the International Space Station on Aug. 30. IMAGE: NASA

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