TRMM

The TRMM satellite captured data used in this dramatic image of Hurricane Adrian when it passed directly above on 9 June 2011 at 0714 UTC. The increasingly powerful hurricane had sustained winds estimated to be close to 80 kts (~92 mph) at the time of this pass. TRMM's Precipitation Radar (PR) instrument revealed that beneath the clouds there were intense thunderstorms dropping rain at a rate of over 50 mm/hr (~2 inches) in a nearly circular eye wall. The PR also indicated that some thunderstorms in the eye wall were shooting up to heights above 15 km (~9.3 miles). Click here to see a

Tropical Depression ONE-E was well on it's way to becoming tropical storm ADRIAN when the TRMM satellite flew over again on 7 June 2011 at 1717 UTC. Rainfall data from TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar (PR) show that bands of rainfall were starting to get organized. A red tropical storm symbol shows the location of the future storm's center of circulation. TRMM's PR showed thunderstorm towers as high as 15 km (~9.3 miles) in rain bands west of ADRIAN's center.

As predicted ONE-E, the first tropical depression of 2011, formed in the eastern Pacific Ocean early this morning. The image above used data that the TRMM satellite received when it flew over at 0727 UTC on 7 June 2011. A red circle shows the location of ONE-E's center of circulation at that time. ONE-E is expected to intensify and become tropical storm Adrian tomorrow.

A trough of low pressure draped across the Greater Antilles together with a persistent area of broad low pressure located in the western Caribbean combined to bring a weeks worth of steady and often heavy rains to the region. This resulted in flooding across portions of Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite, which was launched in November of 1997 uses both passive and active sensors to measure rainfall over the global tropics from space. To increase the effective coverage, TRMM can be used to calibrate

The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center was used in the analysis above to show the total rainfall that occurred when super typhoon Songda was active in the western Pacific Ocean. TMPA rainfall totals are shown here for the period from 23 May to 31 May 2011. The rainfall analysis indicated that the highest rainfall totals of over 300mm (~11.8 inches) occurred in the Pacific east of the Philippines. The highest rainfall totals over land fell in the islands of southern Japan even though Songda had by then weakened to a

Super Typhoon Songda was seen again by the TRMM satellite on 27 May 2011 at 0710 UTC. The TRMM satellite view shows that powerful super typhoon Songda contained bands of extremely heavy rainfall with numerous powerful thunderstorms. Songda is predicted to pass to the east of Taiwan and weaken over the next few days. Bands of rainfall from the weakening storm may move over Japan as the predicted center brushes the south-eastern coastline from 29-30 May 2011.

As predicted, Typhoon Songda intensified and was a super typhoon with wind speeds estimated at over 130 kts ( ~145 mph) when the TRMM satellite passed directly over head on 26 May 2011 at 0806 UTC. The image above used data from TRMM's Visible and InfraRed Scanner (VIRS) and a TRMM rainfall analysis . The rainfall analysis from TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar (PR) data shows that Songda had a circular eye with extremely heavy rainfall, particularly in the southeast quadrant. TRMM's PR data shows the concentric rain bands typical of powerful typhoons. Below is a simulated

Typhoon Songda was east of the Philippines when the TRMM satellite had an early evening view on 25 May 2011 at 0903 UTC. Both TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar (PR) instruments were used to provide the rainfall analysis shown above. TRMM's TMI had the best coverage of rainfall with Songda and showed well organized bands of moderate to heavy rainfall converging into the typhoon. Songda was an intensifying category 3 typhoon, on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with wind speeds of over 105 kts (~121 mph) at that time. Songda is predicted to become a very powerful category 4 super

The TRMM satellite flew over rapidly forming TS04W in the western Pacific on 20 May 2011 at 0037 UTC (~10:37 AM LOCAL TIME). This daylight TRMM pass showed that the tropical cyclone was becoming much better organized. The intensifying tropical cyclone now contained several areas of heavy thunderstorms dropping rain at over 50 mm/hour (~2 inches/hour). The 3-D perspective image on the upper right shows the storm's vertical structure. TRMM's Precipitation Radar (PR) now showed that some thunderstorm towers near the center of circulation were punching up to heights of over 16 km (~9.9 miles)