Extreme Weather News

The GPM core observatory passed above tropical storm Kong-Rey on October 5, 2018 at 0846 UTC. Kong-Rey was a powerful category five typhoon just a few days ago but increased vertical wind shear and cooler sea surface temperatures have caused the tropical cyclone to weaken dramatically. Tropical storm Kong-Rey had maximum sustained winds of about 55 kts (63 mph) when it was scanned by the satellite. GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) data were used to gauge the intensity of precipitation around Kong-Rey's center of circulation. Energy observed through clouds by GMI's microwave channels was used to

The GPM core observatory satellite passed above hurricane Leslie on October 3, 2018 at 7:33 AM EDT (1133 UTC). Leslie had just been upgraded to a hurricane by the National Hurricane Center (NHC). GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) instrument collected data that revealed light to moderate convective rainfall in Leslie's clearly evident eye wall. Very little precipitation was shown by GPM in the center of the hurricane's nearly circular eye. Algorithms developed by NASA's Precipitation Measurement Missions (PMM) science team indicated that rain was falling at over 1.8 inches (45.7 mm) per hour within

The GPM core observatory recently had a couple good looks at tropical storm Walaka as it was intensifying into a powerful hurricane. GPM passed directly over tropical storm Walaka when it was located south of the Hawaiian islands on September 30, 2018 at 8:38 AM HST (1838 UTC). Data collected by GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments showed that Walaka was well organized and very close to hurricane intensity. GPM's Radar (DPR Ku Band) data revealed intense convective storms in a large feeder band that was wrapping around the tropical storm's

The GMI overflight here shows a clear center of circulation with much of the intense convection on the south side of Hurricane Rosa, a Category 1 storm with winds of 75 knots. It is expected to continue intensifying over the next couple days before it runs into strong shear and cooler waters off the Baja California coast. Forecasts suggest it will make landfall in Northern Baja as a tropical storm, with its primary impacts being heavy rainfall and flash flooding over the Desert Southwest.

View fullscreen in STORM Event Viewer Once a Category 5 Super Typhoon, Trami has become rooted in place due to a lack of steering flow. This has caused the storm to deplete the warm waters beneath it and it has since weakened to a Category 2 with maximum winds of 90 knots. It maintains a broad eye and once it begins moving again, is likely to reintensify at least somewhat as it zooms northeastward over the Ryukyu Islands and into the southern coast of Japan. Wind impacts are likely to be exacerbated by its forward speed and current forecasts expect it to have widespread impacts in a region