Tropical Storm 13S has been renamed Hilwa as it continues to track through the open waters of the South Indian Ocean.
NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Hilwa on February 21 at 1007 UTC (5:07 a.m. EST) and captured a visible image of the storm that showed its rounded formation. The strongest, highest, thunderstorms (that cast shadows on lower clouds) appeared to be on the eastern side of the storm.
On February 21, 2012, Tropical cyclone Hilwa was located approximately 480 nautical miles east of La Reunion, near position near 20.0 South and 63.8 East, moving southwest at 6 knots (7 mph/11 kph). Maximum sustained winds are near 40 knots (46 mph/74 kph).
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecasters expect that Hilwa will briefly strengthen and then weaken as it heads south.