The TRMM satellite passed over newly formed tropical storm Ophelia in the Atlantic Ocean on September 2011 at 0752 UTC ( 4:52 AM EDT). TRMM shows that Ophelia isn't very well organized and contains only a few scattered areas of heavy rainfall. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has predicted that Ophelia will remain a tropical storm with wind speeds reaching a maximum of 50 kts (~58 mph).

The TRMM satellite flew over two tropical cyclones near Japan on 18 September 2011. Typhoon Sonca, shown above, was seen off the east coast of the main Japanese island of Honshu at 1805 UTC while moving away from Japan toward the north-east. Sonca was still a powerful typhoon with wind speeds of about 85 knots (~98 mph) at that time but Sonca weakened to a tropical storm on 19 September 2011 while moving over the colder waters of the northern Pacific Ocean to the north-east of Japan. TRMM saw tropical storm Roke a little later at 1840 UTC. TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR) data shows that Roke

The TRMM satellite traveled above tropical storm Maria on Thursday 15 September 2011 at 1001 UTC ( 6:01 AM EDT). Maria's organization had improved over that seen by TRMM earlier in the week due to favorable (warmer) sea surface temperatures and lower upper level wind shear. A rainfall analysis from TRMM's Precipitation Radar (PR), displayed in a lighter swath, shows that powerful convective storms were dropping rainfall at a rate of over 50mm/hr (~2 inches) northwest of Maria's center of circulation. A large area of rainfall containing bands of heavier rainfall was also shown by TRMM's

The TRMM satellite passed over tropical storm Maria on 12 September 2011 at 1249 UTC (8:49 AM EDT). This TRMM pass shows that tropical storm Maria's center of circulation was exposed and displaced well to the west of deep convection. A red tropical storm symbol was overlaid on the image derived from this TRMM pass to show the location of Maria's center of circulation. With this pass TRMM's Precipitation Radar (PR), shown in the lighter swath, scanned directly above the deep convection east of Maria's center. Those data showed that some rainfall in this area was very intense with rates of over

After forming in the north central Gulf of Mexico, Tropical Storm Lee came ashore over south central Louisiana on the morning of Sunday September 4th, 2011. Over the next two and a half days, the slow-moving storm worked its way across central Louisiana and central Mississippi and into northern Alabama, dumping heavy rains along the way. The primary mission of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite is to measure rainfall over the global Tropics using a combination of passive microwave and active radar sensors. For expanded coverage, TRMM can be used to calibrate rainfall

The TRMM satellite flew over the latest tropical cyclone to form in the Atlantic Ocean basin on 7 September 2011 at 1812 UTC (2:12 PM EDT). This TRMM pass was a few hours before the National Hurricane Center (NHC) named this low pressure center in the Bay Of Campeche tropical storm Nate. Data from TRMM's Precipitation Radar (PR) shows that the forming tropical cyclone had areas of heavy convection with storm tops reaching to heights of about 14km (~8.7 miles) south of Nate's center of circulation.

The rainfall analysis above is from TRMM calibrated precipitation estimates called Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA). This product was developed by the precipitation research team in the Laboratory for Atmospheres at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and uses satellite data collected in "real time"(3B42 ). This preliminary analysis shows the estimated total rainfall measured for the period from 30 August to 6 September 2011 and includes rainfall from other sources including tropical storm Lee. Tropical storm Lee has been dropping heavy rain since moving over land from the Gulf Of

The TRMM satellite viewed the thirteenth tropical depression of the Atlantic hurricane season on Thursday 1 September 2011 at 1309 UTC (9:09 AM EDT) when it was still forming. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has predicted that TD13 will intensify and become a tropical storm (Lee) today. The tropical storm is predicted by the NHC to slowly move toward the northwest and cause heavy rainfall over the states along the northern Gulf Of Mexico's coast. One area of heavy rainfall in the middle of the Gulf Of Mexico was in the center of the area viewed by TRMM's Precipitation Radar (PR). Some of

Tropical storm Talas was seen by the TRMM satellite approaching the main islands of Japan on 1 September 2011 at 0416UTC (~1:15 PM local time). This daylight TRMM pass shows that Talas had a very large nearly clear eye with large bands of intense thunderstorms located far from the storm's center. Talas is predicted travel over the main islands of japan in the next 36 hours.