GPM

Data from the Global Precipitation Measurement or GPM mission core satellite were used to help estimate rainfall data. GPM is a satellite co-managed by both NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The city of Chennai on India's southeastern coast was hit particularly hard. More than 260 deaths have been reported in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Data from NASA's Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) were used to estimate the flooding rainfall that fell from November 28 to Dec. 4, 2015. Over 400 mm (15.7 inches) of rainfall were estimated over areas south of Chennai

Extremely heavy rainfall over southeastern India caused deadly flooding in the middle of the month of November. Record setting rainfall has again caused deadly flooding in southern India. The latest deluge started at the end of November 2015 and generated flooding that has resulted in the reported deaths of 188 people. NASA's Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) combines all data from 12 satellites into a continuously updated global map of rainfall at half hourly intervals. The rainfall accumulation analysis above was computed from data generated by IMERG during the period

Data from NASA's Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) were used to estimate the amount of rainfall that hurricane Sandra produced during the period from November 23-29, 2015. Sandra remained well off the Mexican coast during the most dangerous period from November 25-27, 2015 when Sandra was a powerful hurricane with sustained winds of up to 130 kts (150 mph). This analysis shows that much of Sandra's rainfall occurred over the open waters of the Eastern Pacific. This analysis indicates that moisture flowing from hurricane Sandra also caused heavy rainfall totals of over 700

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

One of our scientists noticed that the 85GHz H and V channels have missing values in ascending passes just south of 20 deg S. In that region it appears consistently since 10:45UTC which is the earliest we checked. The other channels seem fine. The counts for the 85GHz channels appear to be fine as is the geolocation. However both the 1B and 1 Base files have the missing values in that area. We are checking what is causing the algorithm to list the values as missing. Please keep this in mind when using those channels.

On November 18, 2015 at 1533 the GPM core observatory satellite flew directly over a recently formed typhoon called IN-FA that was located near the Equator well to the southeast of Guam. Favorable environmental conditions such as low vertical wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures helped typhoon IN-FA intensify quickly from a tropical depression on November 17 to a typhoon on November 18, 2015. Rainfall from GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments were used to analyze the rainfall around typhoon IN-FA. GPM's DPR found that rain was falling at