TC Beni 27 jan 2003 2350Z

This true-color image from the MODIS instrument onboard NASA’s Terra spacecraft shows Tropical Cyclone Beni located approximately 215 miles south-southeast Honiara, Solomon Islands, on Jan. 26. Beni’s maximum sustained winds were near 60 mph and the storm intensified over the subsequent 36-48 hours. Beni moved south toward New Caledonia over the next few days, under the influence of a low to mid-level ridge to the northeast.