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Tropical Cyclone Mocha rapidly intensified into a strong Category 4 on Saturday making for a stunning sight in satellite imagery as it closed in on Myanmar.

M​ocha's winds jumped from 105 MPH to 150 MPH in the 24 hours ending early Saturday morning (U.S. time). That easily meets the criteria for the rapid intensification of a tropical cyclone, which is a wind speed increase of at least 35 mph in 24 hours or less.

Flooding rain, destructive winds and storm surge are all dangers from this fierce cyclone in Myanmar through Sunday.

H​ere are a few images that illustrate the power of Mocha when it was in the Bay of Bengal on Saturday.

First up, this view shows how Mocha appeared in infrared satellite imagery on Saturday morning (U.S. time). The darkest colors indicate colder (and higher) cloud tops associated with thunderstorms that surround the cyclone's eye.

C​lick the play button below to see an animated version of Mocha in infrared satellite imagery.

Shown in this image is the eyewall of Mocha when it was undergoing rapid intensification. Microwave imagery from satellites can give you a good idea of what the eyewall looks like. It's especially useful when radar imagery is unavailable.

C​lick the play button below to see an animated version of Mocha in microwave imagery.

T​his final image shows how Mocha appeared in visible satellite imagery just before sunset on Saturday. Visible satellite imagery shows how the cyclone would generally appear if viewed by the naked eye from space.

(CIRA/RAMMB)

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