Tropical Storm Beryl Brings Some Much Needed Drought Relief to Southeast US

Tropical Storm Beryl was actually a welcome sight in parts of the Southeast. Tropical cyclones are not always bad news. Sometimes they can be quite beneficial, especially when it comes to relieving drought conditions. Tropical Storm Beryl made landfall just after midnight (local time) on the night of 27 May 2012 near Jacksonville Beach, Florida as a strong tropical storm with sustained winds of 70 mph, making it the strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall in the US before the official June 1st start of the Atlantic hurricane season. Prior to the arrival of Beryl, many parts of the

Tropical Depression Beryl Drenches Florida And Georgia

At times Tropical storm beryl has been producing intense rainfall over the southeastern United States since coming ashore early on Monday May 28, 2012. The TRMM satellite had good views of Beryl's rainfall on Monday May 28, 2012 at 2033 UTC (4:33 PM EDT) and on Tuesday May 29, 2012 at 0127 UTC (Monday May, 28 2012 at 9:27 PM EDT). Data from TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar (PR) are shown in two images from those orbits. These TRMM images show that bands of rainfall rotating around Beryl were mainly affecting only northern Florida and southeastern Georgia. A few areas of

Hurricane Bud Threatens Western Mexico's Coast

The TRMM satellite passed above hurricane Bud early this morning at 0429 UTC (9:30 PM PDT May 24, 2012). A large area of moderate to heavy rainfall with rates of over 30mm/hr (~1.2 inches) was revealed in Bud by TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) instrument. The rainfall analysis was overlaid on an enhanced infrared image derived from TRMM's Visible and InfraRed Scanner (VIRS). Bud's past and predicted locations are shown overlaid in white. Heavy rainfall from hurricane Bud's slow movement may result in severe flooding and dangerous landslides as it moves over Mexico's rugged coastal terrain.

Tropical Cyclone Season Gets Started in the Northern Hemisphere

Summer has not yet arrived, and yet there are currently 3 active tropical systems in the Northern Hemisphere spread across three different ocean basins. Perhaps, the most unusual of the three is Tropical Storm Alberto in the Atlantic. Alberto formed in the western Atlantic from a stationary low pressure system off of the coast of South Carolina on the 19th of May 2012, two weeks before the official June 1st start of the Atlantic hurricane season. Alberto is the first tropical storm to form this early in the season since Tropical Storm Ana in 2003, which formed on the 20th of April west of

TRMM Sees First Atlantic Tropical Storm Forming

The TRMM satellite flew above tropical storm Alberto when it was forming off the coast of South Carolina today. TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar (PR) data captured at (12 minutes after midnight EDT) were used in the rainfall analysis shown above. It shows a large area of moderate to heavy rainfall with a small area of heavy rainfall located near the center of the forming tropical cyclone.

Another Tropical Cyclone Developing

While Tropical storm Aletta is forecast to weaken and dissipate another tropical cyclone appears to be forming in the eastern Pacific south of Acapulco, Mexico. The TRMM satellite passed above this tropical disturbance (92E) on 18 May 2012 at 0957 UTC. Data captured with this pass by TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar (PR) instruments were used in the rainfall analysis shown. This analysis indicates that this area contained very heavy rainfall in the northeastern quadrant of the disturbance. Some storms were producing rainfall at a rate of over 50 mm/hr (~2 inches). A 3-D
JAXA Launches GCOM-W1 Satellite JacobAdmin Fri, 05/18/2012
Congratulations to our partner, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), for the successful launch yesterday of the Global Change Observation Mission 1st - Water (GCOM-W1). GCOM-W1 carries the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) which successfully deployed its antenna on orbit. AMSR2 will detect microwave radiation to measure sea surface temperature, sea surface wind speed, sea ice concentration, snow depth, soil moisture, water vapor, cloud liquid water, and precipitation. GCOM-W1 will be a part of the GPM constellation, contributing its measurements to the GPM global data

TRMM Sees Disorganized Aletta

The TRMM satellite passed almost directly above tropical storm Aletta in the eastern Pacific Ocean on 16 March 2012 at 1146 UTC. Data from TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar (PR) instruments were used in the rainfall analysis shown above. Aletta's past and future positions are shown overlaid in white. Aletta looks disorganized in this orbit but some very heavy thunderstorms, producing rainfall at a rate greater than 50mm/hr (~2 inches), were located near the storm's center. TRMM's Precipitation Radar (PR) found that some thunderstorms contained very heavy rainfall with a