As predicted by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) tropical depression Nine formed with a strong tropical wave that moved from the African coast to an area south of the Cape Verde Islands. The low pressure center was designated tropical depression Nine at 2100 UTC (5PM EDT). The TRMM satellite flew directly above the developing tropical depression earlier at 1651 UTC (12:51 PM EDT). This TRMM pass found rain falling at a rate of over 101mm/hr (~4 inches) near the center of the developing tropical depression. TRMM's PR instrument was used to show a 3-D view of TD9. Radar reflectivity values

A low pressure center associated with a strong tropical wave near the African coast of Senegal may become a tropical depression south of the Cape Verde islands in the next five days. The TRMM satellite collected data used in the image above when it flew over this tropical disturbance on September 7, 2013 at 0257 UTC.

The development of tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean basin has been very slow recently but tropical cyclones have formed in the Eastern Pacific Ocean at a near normal or greater than normal pace. Sixteen tropical cyclones per season usually form in the eastern Pacific and tropical storm Lorena is number fourteen. The TRMM satellite flew above this most recent Eastern Pacific tropical storm on September 6, 2013 at 0824 UTC. TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar (PR) data show that Lorena did not contain large areas of precipitation. Those data do show that Lorena had one

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) upgraded a low pressure center south of Puerto Rico to tropical depression number seven on September 4, 2013 at 2100 UTC (5:00 PM EDT). The tropical depression was then again upgraded to tropical storm Gabrielle on September 5, 2013 at 0300 UTC (11 PM EDT). Gabrielle was subsequently downgraded to a tropical depression at 1500 UTC (11 AM EDT). The TRMM satellite's Microwave Imager (TMI) had a fairly good look at tropical storm Gabrielle very early this morning at 0614 UTC (2:14 AM EDT). TRMM's TMI found rain falling at a rate of over 56mm/hr (~2.2 inches) in

Tropical storm Toraji quickly followed tropical storm Kong-rey and has started to again saturate Japan with flooding rainfall. The TRMM satellite flew over Toraji on September 3, 2013 at 1220 UTC. Rainfall estimates using data collected by TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar (PR) instruments with this orbit are displayed in the left image. TRMM PR measured rain falling at a rate of 133 mm/hr (~5.2 inches) in an area just north of Toraji's center of circulation. The image on the right shows a 3-D view from the south of this area using TRMM PR data.