Extreme Weather News

Tropical storm Molave became the 16th named tropical cyclone when it formed on August 7, 2015 and spent the past week over the open waters of the Pacific Ocean. For a few days Molave moved toward Japan but re-curved toward the northeast and passed well to the southeast of Japan. Molave became an extratropical cyclone and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued it's last warning on August 13, 2015 at 2100 UTC. Molave was last seen as a tropical storm by the GPM core observatory satellite on August 13, 2015 at 2026 UTC. Molave's rainfall intensity was measured with this satellite pass by

Three days ago Hilda was a category four hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale with winds of 120 kts (138 mph). Hilda has been weakening and had winds of about 80 kts (92 mph) when the GPM core observatory satellite passed above on August 11, 2015 at 0411 UTC (August 10, 2015 at 6:11 PM HST). Rainfall data from GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) instrument is shown overlaid on a 0400 UTC August 11, 2015 GOES-WEST Infrared image. GPM's GMI revealed that storms north of hurricane Hilda's eye were dropping rain at a rate of over 53.6 mm (2.2 inches) per hour. Hilda's future positions

Soudelor formed in the middle of the Pacific Ocean well east of Guam on July 20, 2015. Soudelor became more powerful with peak intensity of about 155 kts (178 mph) reached on August 3, 2015 when the super typhoon was well east of Taiwan over the open waters of the Pacific Ocean. Soudelor's winds died down a little but rebounded to with over 100 kts (115 mph) before hitting Taiwan . Although Soudler was still a powerful typhoon when it hit land most deaths and destruction were caused by flooding and mudslides from heavy rainfall not from strong winds. The rugged terrain over typhoon amplified

The GPM core observatory satellite continued to provide excellent coverage of Soudelor as the typhoon closed in on Taiwan. GPM flew directly above typhoon Soudelor's eye on August 7, 2015 at 1041Z (6:41 PM Local Time) when wind speeds were 110 kts (127 mph). Rainfall data from GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments revealed very heavy rainfall in spiraling bands rotating around a decaying inner eye wall. Precipitation intensity can be measured by the Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar instrument mounted on the GPM core observatory satellite. Some

Typhoon Soudelor's winds had dropped to 95 kts ( 109 mph) when the GPM core observatory satellite had another excellent daytime view on August 6, 2015 at 0006 UTC. GPM's Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) data showed that Soudelor had heavy rainfall in an inner eye wall and also in a much larger replacement outer eye wall. The heaviest rain found by GPM was dropping at a rate of close to 70 mm (2.4 inches) per hour in a strong feeder band spiraling in on the southwestern side of the typhoon. Radar reflectivity data from GPM's Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) data were also used