TRMM Sees Developing Western Pacific Tropical Cyclone

The TRMM satellite flew over newly designated tropical depression 08W in the western Pacific Ocean on 11 July 2011 at 0637 UTC. The rainfall analysis on the left above, derived from TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar (PR) data, shows that numerous convective thunderstorms were dropping moderate to heavy rainfall over a large area of the Pacific Ocean near 18.1N 157.3E. The Naval Maritime Forecast Center Pearl Harbor, HI (NMFC-PH) predicts that 08W will become a typhoon over the open waters of the Pacific with 65kt (~75 mph) winds by 13 July 2011. The 3-D display above uses PR

Tropical Depression Three Intensifying

Tropical depression Three was showing much better organization with more heavy rainfall when the TRMM satellite saw it again on 7 July 2011 at 1636 UTC. Data from TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) showed that heavy rainfall was present in a large area over the center of the intensifying depression and in a feeder band to the west of the center. There were also a few showers shown along the Mexican coast to the northwest of the storm.

TRMM Sees Tropical Depression Forming

The TRMM satellite passed over an area of low pressure in the eastern Pacific Ocean south of Mexico on 7 July 2011 at 0234 UTC. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, Florida upgraded this area of low pressure to a tropical depression at 1500 UTC ( 08:00 AM PDT) making it the third tropical depression in the eastern Pacific this hurricane season. Conditions are expected to be favorable for the depression to become a tropical storm within the next couple days. The rainfall analysis from TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar (PR) data was overlaid on an infrared image from

Arlene Brings Heavy Rains to Mexico

Arlene formed into a tropical storm on the evening of 28 June 2011 in the Bay of Campeche in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico from an area of low pressure that had formed the day before just west of the Yucatan Peninsula. Arlene did not have time to fully develop and came ashore as a strong tropical storm two days later on the morning of 30 June near Cabo Rojo along Mexico's east coast with sustained winds reported at 65 mph. Although wind damage from the storm was relatively minor, Arlene brings the threat of heavy rains and flash flooding to the region as it continues to move inland. The