Extreme Weather News

Extreme rain events fueled by the current strong El Nino have started to affect California. A series of storms over the Pacific are shown transporting rain toward the west coast. This estimate of rainfall totals from December 31, 2015 to January 6, 2016 was made using data from NASA's Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG). Global precipitation estimates are provided by IMERG through the use of data from satellites in the GPM Constellation and is calibrated with measurements from the GPM Core Observatory as well as rain gauge networks around the world. The National Weather

The GPM core observatory satellite had an excellent daytime view of tropical cyclone 06P (ULA) on December 30, 2015 at 2358 UTC. The tropical cyclone had moved to the east-southeast of Samoa in the South Pacific Ocean with maximum sustained winds increasing to about 50 kts (58 mph). The rainfall pattern derived from GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments showed that 06P was much better organized. Powerful thunderstorms at the center of the tropical cyclone were found by DPR to be dropping rain at a rate of over 66 mm (2.6 inches) per hour. GPM's

The GPM core observatory satellite passed above tropical cyclone 06P when it was forming in the south Pacific Ocean north of Samoa on December 29, 2015 at 1321 UTC. A rainfall analysis was performed using data collected at that time by GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments. Data from GMI were used to calculate that rain was falling at a rate of over 83.6 mm (3.29 inches) per in a feeder band northeast of the low's center. Radar data from GPM's DPR Ku band radar were used to show the 3-D structure of precipitation within the forming tropical

Widespread flooding has recently affected tens of thousands of people in South America. Paraguay has been especially hard hit with the worst flooding in decades occurring after heavy summer rainfall. An estimated 90,000 people have been evacuated from their homes. Storms and flooding caused the deaths of at least six people in Asuncion, Paraguay. The analysis above was generated using the Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) data product. IMERG rainfall estimates are computed in near-realtime. IMERG data indicates that over 350 mm (13.8 inches) of rain fell northeast of

Heavy rainfall, flooding and tornado outbreaks affected areas of the United States from the Southwest through the Midwest from December 23-27, 2015. Tornadoes and flooding events killed at least 43 people during this period. Fourteen deaths alone occurred with tornadoes that hit Benton, Mississippi on December 23, 2015. Tornadoes are expected in the springtime but are much less frequent during this time of the year. An analysis was made of the rainfall that occurred during the period from December 21-28, 2015. This analysis used data generated by NASA's Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals