Extreme Weather News

The GPM core observatory satellite passed above weakening tropical cyclone CEBILE on February 6, 2018 at 1151 UTC. CEBILE's maximum sustained winds had decreased to about 40 kts (46 mph). The satellite showed that most of the convective rainfall in the sheared tropical cyclone was southeast of CEBILE's center of circulation. Dual Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) data received by GPM with this pass showed that the northeastern side of the eye wall was eroding while continuous heavy precipitation was found by GPM in the southeastern quadrant of the storm. The area scanned by GPM's DPR is

Tropical Cyclone CEBILE formed four days ago in the southwest Indian Ocean southeast of Diego Garcia. Today CEBILE became the most powerful tropical cyclone to form in the southern hemisphere this year. Maximum sustained wind speeds within CEBILE were estimated at 120kts (138 mph) early today making CEBILE the equivalent of a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. The GPM core observatory satellite passed directly above the well defined circular eye of tropical cyclone CEBILE on January 31, 2018 at 0034 UTC. Rainfall intensity and coverage within CEBILE were revealed

The GPM core observatory satellite flew tropical cyclone FEHI on January 30, 2018 at 0831 UTC. GPM revealed that precipitation was only located around the southern side of FEHI's circulation. Strong vertical wind shear had caused the surface center of circulation (shown with a red symbol) to be displaced well to the north of the heaviest rainfall. The satellite found that some convective storms on the southern side of the tropical cyclone were still producing very heavy precipitation. GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments revealed rainfall in a

Tropical cyclone BERGUITTA was moving very close to the eastern side of the island of Mauritius when the GPM core observatory satellite passed above on January 18, 2018 at 0528Z (9:28 AM local time). This meant that the most destructive section of tropical cyclone BERGUITTA was passing very close to the eastern side of Mauritius. For this reason the eastern side of Mauritius would be expected to have had the highest winds, seas, and storm surge from BERGUITTA. The tropical cyclone was passing a little farther to the east of the island of Reunion. Data collected by GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI)

The GPM core observatory satellite passed over the southwest Indian Ocean on January 16, 2018 at 1856 UTC. GPM showed that heavy rainfall within tropical cyclone BERGUITTA was moving closer to the islands of Reunion and Mauritius. GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments found that powerful storms northeast of Mauritius were dropping rain at a rate greater than 54 mm (2.1 inches) per hour. A 3-D view of Storm top heights within tropical cyclone BERGUITTA was made possible with GPM's radar (DPR ku Band). Those 3-D scans through the eastern side of