Level 2 GPM Microwave Imager (GMI) Data Released

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission's Precipitation Processing System at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, has released the Level 2 GPM Microwave Imager (GMI) data to the public. The data set includes precipitation rates, which show how much rain and snowfall accumulate over a given time period. This Level 2 data set of falling rain and snow is computed from Level 1 brightness temperature observations from GMI, the basic measurement made by the instrument of naturally occurring energy radiated, in this case, by precipitation particles (raindrops or

Typhoon Matmo Drenches Taiwan

Typhoon Matmo hit eastern Taiwan at it's peak power with winds estimated at 85kts (about 98 mph). In addition to damaging winds Matmo produced very heavy rainfall while passing over central Taiwan. The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center was used in this analysis to show rainfall totals for the period from July 17-24, 2014. It shows that rainfall totals greater than 400 mm (about 15.7 inches) soaked eastern Taiwan. Heavy rainfall also occurred yesterday over the Taiwan Strait. This band of heavy rainfall associated

Matmo's Menacing Taiwan

The TRMM satellite saw typhoon Matmo nearing Taiwan on July 21, 2014 at 2316 UTC. TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar (PR) showed that Matmo contained a large area of precipitation falling at a rate of over 61 mm (about 2.4 inches) per hour northeast of Matmo's center. After battering Taiwan today, typhoon Matmo is predicted to make a second landfall in China tomorrow.

Super Typhoon Rammasun Strikes the Southern Coast of China

Super typhoon Rammasun struck the southern coast of China on Friday July 18th as a very powerful super typhoon with sustained winds estimated at 135 knots (~155 mph or equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane on the US Saffir-Simpson scale), making it the strongest typhoon to hit the area in several decades. Rammasun made landfall at 3:30 pm (local time) on Hainan Island where the southern half of the intense eye wall raked across the northeast tip of that island. The center then quickly cut across the Qiongzhou Strait separating Hainan from the Leizhou Peninsula to the north. The right half of

Potential Tropical Development Southeast Of Hawaii

Early this morning at 1100 UTC the TRMM satellite flew above an area where a possible tropical cyclone is developing southeast of the Hawaiian Islands (12 North 140 West). A rainfall analysis from TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar (PR) instruments is shown on the left overlaid on a GOES-WEST image received at the exact same time. TRMM PR data found powerful storms near the center of the tropical disturbance where rain was falling at a rate of over 105 mm (about 4.1 inches). Radar reflectivity values of over 50dBZ were being returned to the satellite from intense rain