Extreme Weather News

The GPM core observatory satellite flew above hurricane Sandra on November 26, 2015 at 0706 UTC. Sandra had winds of 125 kts (144 mph) at that time making it a category three on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. This means that Sandra is the latest major hurricane ever recorded in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Numerous powerful hurricanes were predicted in the eastern Pacific Ocean at the beginning of the hurricane season due to the development of the 2015 El Nino. Data captured by GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments shows rain falling at a

Early this morning tropical Storm Sandra became the 18th named storm of the 2015 Eastern Pacific hurricane season. Intensifying tropical storm Sandra had winds of about 35 kts (40 mph) when the GPM core observatory satellite passed over on November 24, 2015 at 0719 UTC. A rainfall analysis derived using data collected at that time by from GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments is shown. DPR discovered that the intense convective storms south of the tropical storm's center of circulation were dropping rain at a rate of over 80 mm (3.1 inches) per

Typhoon IN-FA's peaked as a category four tropical cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson scale with maximum sustained winds of about 115 kts (132 mph) on November 21, 2015. IN-FA's winds had decreased to about 90 kts (103.5 mph) when the GPM core observatory satellite flew over on November 23, 2015 at 1555 UTC. Measurements by GPM's Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instrument indicated that IN-FA was dropping rain at an extreme rate of over 266 mm (10.5 inches) per hour in storms just to the northwest of the typhoon's eye. GPM's radar (DPR Ku Band) were used to show the 3-D structure of

Tropical storm Rick is the latest tropical cyclone to form in the 2015 Eastern Pacific Ocean hurricane season which has spawned a record number of dangerous hurricanes. Tropical storm Rick was moving over the eastern Pacific Ocean well off the Mexican coast when the GPM core Observatory satellite flew over on November 19, 2015 at 1956 UTC. Data captured by GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) show that tropical storm Rick had a couple areas near the center of circulation that were dropping rain at a rate of over 41.6 mm (1.6 inches) per hour. GPM's radar

The GPM core observatory satellite had another excellent view of typhoon IN-FA on November 19, 2015 at 0305 UTC. This GPM pass revealed the location of typhoon IN-FA's eye beneath dense overcast. Rainfall derived from data collected by GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments show that feeder bands around IN-FA were getting better organized. The most intense precipitation was measured in IN-FA's eye wall by DPR where it was falling at a rate of almost 55 mm (2.16 inches) per hour. Most rainfall in feeder bands was shown by GPM to be only light to