Extreme Weather News

The GPM core observatory passed directly above hurricane Ophelia on October 14, 2017 at 1656 UTC. Ophelia was a powerful category three on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale with sustained winds of close to 115 mph (100 kts). GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments collected data showing the locations of extremely heavy rainfall with the hurricane. GPM's radar unveiled intense downpours in the northeastern side of Ophelia's eye that were dropping rain at the extreme rate of over 8.4 inches (213 mm) per hour. Other intense feeder bands with

Tropical storm Khanun formed northeast of the Philippines on October 12, 2017. The GPM core observatory satellite passed above Khanun on October 13, 2017 (0656 UTC) when maximum sustained wind speeds had reached about 45 kts (~52 mph). Khanun had passed over the northern Philippines and was moving into the South China Sea. The approximate location of Khanun's center of circulation is shown with a red tropical storm symbol. The intensifying tropical storm's rainfall is shown in this image courtesy of data collected by GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR)

On Monday October 9, 2017 at 1100 AM AST (1500 UTC) tropical depression seventeen (TD17) was upgraded to tropical storm Ophelia. The tropical storm is located over the open waters of the the eastern Atlantic southwest of the Azores. The GPM core observatory satellite had a good view of tropical storm Ophelia on October 10, 2017 at 2:46 PM AST (1846 UTC). GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) revealed that the storm was organized but most of the rainfall in the storm was only of light to moderate intensity. The area covered by GPM's 151.9 mile wide (245 km)

The GPM core observatory satellite passed above powerful thunderstorms within land falling hurricane Nate on October 8, 2017 at 4:41 AM EDT (0841 UTC). GPM's Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) found that a few storms over southwestern Alabama were dropping rain at the extreme rate of greater than 4 inches (102 mm) per hour. This 3-D slice by GPM's radar (DPR Ku Band) shows the structure of precipitation within the powerful thunderstorms near the center of hurricane Nate. A few thunderstorms over Alabama were found by GPM's radar to have tops reaching heights above 10.5 miles (17 km).