Extreme Weather News

Tropical cyclone Fantala has continued to intensify while moving westward over the open waters of the South Indian Ocean. The GPM core observatory satellite passed directly over Fantala's eye on April 14, 2016 at 0148 UTC. At that time the tropical cyclone had maximum sustained winds estimated at 90 kts (104 mph) making in the equivalent of a category two tropical cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments again captured data that were used to estimate rainfall within Fantala. Rain was measured by

A tropical cyclone called Fantala formed in the South Indian Ocean far to the east of Madagascar on on April 11, 2016. Fantala has slowly intensified while moving westward and is expected become even more powerful. The GPM core observatory satellite flew over Fantala (TC19S) on April 10, 2016 at 0206 UTC when the tropical cyclone was forming. The first image shows a rainfall analysis using data captured with by GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments. GPM rainfall is shown overlaid on a 0200Z METEOSAT-7 Visible and Infrared image. Intense

Heavy rain was reported as weakening tropical cyclone Zena passed quickly by Tonga. Tropical cyclone Zena was in the process of being torn apart with strong vertical wind shear. The GPM core observatory satellite passed above Zena on April 7, 2016 at 0841 UTC after the center of the tropical cyclone had moved to the east-southeast of Tonga. Zena's maximum sustained winds had dropped to about 35 kts (40 mph). Rainfall derived from GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) data are shown overlaid on a 0900 UTC GOES-WEST enhanced infrared image. GPM's GMI revealed that weakening tropical cyclone Zena still

Tropical cyclone Zena intensified over the open waters between Vanuatu and Fiji. At peak intensity Zena had sustained winds estimated at about 90 kts (104 mph). The GPM core observatory satellite had an excellent view of tropical cyclone Zena on April 6, 2016 at 0933 UTC when tropical cyclone Zena was located southwest of Fiji. Zena had started to weaken but still had maximum sustained wind speeds estimated at 80 kts (92 kts). An analysis of GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) data revealed the intensity of some very heavy showers in the tropical cyclone

Tropical Cyclone Zena (18P) formed in the South Pacific Ocean near Vanuatu early on April 5, 2016. The GPM core observatory satellite flew directly above the newly formed tropical cyclone on April 5, 2016 at 1023 UTC. Intensifying tropical cyclone Zena was buffeting Vanuatu with sustained winds estimated to be over 35 kts (40 mph). A rainfall analysis derived from GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments shows that very powerful storms moving through the islands were dropping rain at a rate of almost 154 mm (6 inches) per hour in intense downpours