tropical cyclones

The GPM core observatory satellite passed over cyclone Mora on May 30, 2017 at 1121 UTC. Mora had passed into southeastern Bangladesh less than six hours earlier. Maximum sustained winds within Mora were estimated to be about 55 kts (63 mph) when GPM passed above. Data received by GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments revealed the location and intensity of rainfall around the dissipating cyclone. GPM's radar swath, shown in lighter shades, covered the area west of the dissipating cyclone's center. GPM's DPR found that rain was still falling at a

On May 10, 2017 rapidly dissipating tropical Cyclone Donna moved to the southeast of New Caledonia in the South Pacific. In addition to being the most powerful out-of-season tropical cyclone ever recorded in the southern hemisphere, Donna also dropped extreme amounts of rainfall along it's path. Donna spread heavy rainfall along it's path from northern Vanuatu through the Loyalty Islands east of New Caledonia. Over 250mm (~10 inches) of rainfall was reported in the islands of northern Vanuatu as Donna was moving through on May 5, 2017. This rainfall analysis was constructed using data from

The GPM core observatory satellite flew over intensifying tropical cyclone Ella in the South Pacific on May 10, 2017 at 2301 UTC. The satellite's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments showed bands of curved rainfall bands wrapping into the center of a well defined center of circulation. GPM's DPR measured rain falling at a rate of over 231 mm (9.1 inches) per hour in an intense feeder band on Ella's eastern side. This 3-D view of tropical cyclone Ella was produced using GPM radar reflectivity data (DPR Ku Band). DPR showed that the highest storm tops

Tropical Cyclone Donna formed in the South Pacific Ocean northeast of Vanuatu On May 2, 2017 at 1800 UTC. A few hours earlier at 1521 UTC the GPM core observatory satellite passed above that area. GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) instrument provided a clear view of the rainfall associated with the forming tropical cyclone. GMI revealed that an intense rain band was wrapping into the center of the forming tropical cyclone from the northern side. GMI data indicated that precipitation in one of these intense rain bands was falling at a rate of over 53 mm (~2 inches) per hour. GPM's Dual-Frequency

Tropical cyclone Francis formed north of Melville Island, Australia on April 27, 2017. Francis has been gradually intensifying while moving south-southwestward through the Timor Sea. Francis had maximum sustained winds estimated at 50 kts (57.5 mph) when the GPM core Observatory flew over on April 27, 2017 at 1936 UTC. The rainfall analysis shown here used data collected by GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments. DPR data indicated that strong convective storms near the center of the tropical storm were dropping rain at a rate of over 70 mm (2.8

Tropical storms are quite rare in the Atlantic at this time of the year, which is why the formation of Tropical Storm Arlene in the north Central Atlantic yesterday, Thursday April 20th at 5:00 pm EDT, was so unusual. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) noted that Arlene became only the 2nd tropical storm to form in the Atlantic during the month of April in the entire satellite era, the other being Tropical Storm Ana back in 2003. GPM captured this timely image of Arlene just after the NHC officially designated it to be a tropical storm. The image was taken at 21:56 UTC (5:56 pm EDT) on

Tropical Storm Maarutha became the first tropical cyclone of 2017 in the Bay of Bengal when it formed on April 15, 2017. Maarutha intensified slightly as it moved northeastward toward Burma (Myanmar). Maarutha reached it's maximum sustained wind speed of 45 kts (52 mph) over the open waters of the Bay Of Bengal. The GPM core observatory satellite had a good view of the forming tropical cyclone on April 14, 2017 at 0121 UTC when it was in the Bay Of Bengal west of the Andaman Islands. GPM had another excellent view just before the organizing tropical cyclone was designated tropical storm

The GPM Core Observatory satellite flew directly above a forming tropical cyclone in the Timor Sea northeast of Darwin, Australia on April 10, 2017 at 1146 UTC. Data collected by GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments showed that convective storms within the tropical low contained very heavy rainfall. GPM's DPR (Ku Band) data revealed that a line of intense storms west of the Bathurst and Melville islands was dropping rain at a rate of over 161 mm (6.3 inches) per hour. A 3-D examination of the forming tropical cyclone's cloud tops showed that

Tropical cyclone Caleb formed today in the South Indian Ocean southwest of the Indonesian Island of Sumatra. The GPM core observatory satellite had a fairly good view of the the newly formed tropical cyclone when it flew over on March 23, 2017 at 0756 UTC. The satellite's Microwave Imager (GMI) revealed the locations of rainfall within the tropical cyclone. Rainfall measurements derived from the GMI showed that convective storms's were dropping rain at a rate of almost 84 mm (3.3 inches) per hour on Caleb's eastern side. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) predicts that tropical cyclone