Extreme Weather News

A fairly strong tropical wave that had been making its way westward across the Central Atlantic over the past several days has now finally organized itself into a tropical storm, Tropical Storm Matthew, the 13th named storm of the season, while passing through the Windward Islands. The storm is poised to intensify as it enters the eastern Caribbean. The tropical wave leading to Matthew's formation emerged off of the coast of Africa back on the 23rd of September. However, despite having a robust level of convective thunderstorm activity, the wave did not acquire a closed low-level circulation

The GPM core observatory satellite had a good early morning look at newly formed tropical storm Ulika on September 27, 2016 at 5:26 AM HST (1526 UTC). Ulika was located in the central Pacific Ocean less than 975 nautical miles east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii. GPM found that Ulika contained some very powerful convective storms and a well defined center of circulation. GPM's Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) discovered that some strong convective storms inside the tropical storm were dropping precipitation at a rate of over 187 mm (7.4 inches) per hour. A GPM radar slice through the center

Three typhoons have battered Taiwan in the past few weeks. Super Typhoon MERANTI, the strongest typhoon of the year, caused havoc as it passed to the south of Taiwan on September 14, 2016. Typhoon Malakas clipped northeastern Taiwan a few days later. Typhoon Megi has now caused injuries, deaths and destruction as it passes over northeastern Taiwan. The GPM core observatory satellite passed over on September 26, 2016 at 2231 UTC when typhoon Megi was approaching Taiwan from the Philippine Sea. Megi was intensifying with maximum sustained wind speeds estimated at 100kts (115 mph). The typhoon's

Tropical Depression Karl's strength has fluctuated. Karl formed on September 14th in the eastern Atlantic, strengthened to tropical storm intensity on September 16th and was downgraded to a tropical depression yesterday. The GPM core observatory satellite had an outstanding view of Karl when it passed above today at 1201 UTC (8:01 AM EDT). Data collected by GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments uncovered heavy rainfall inside storms within the tropical depression. DPR found that powerful convective storms near Karl's center of circulation were

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued the last advisory on post tropical storm Julia on September 19, 2016 but the remnants have persisted off the Southeast coast. The remnants of the low are interacting with a slow moving frontal system and are now dropping rain over eastern North Carolina and Virginia. The GPM core observatory satellite flew over this area on Tuesday September 20, 2016 at 7:31 PM EDT (2331 UTC). The satellite's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments showed the location and intensity of heavy rainfall within this area of low