Extreme Weather

The GPM core observatory passed above tropical storm Kong-Rey on October 5, 2018 at 0846 UTC. Kong-Rey was a powerful category five typhoon just a few days ago but increased vertical wind shear and cooler sea surface temperatures have caused the tropical cyclone to weaken dramatically. Tropical storm Kong-Rey had maximum sustained winds of about 55 kts (63 mph) when it was scanned by the satellite. GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) data were used to gauge the intensity of precipitation around Kong-Rey's center of circulation. Energy observed through clouds by GMI's microwave channels was used to

The GPM core observatory satellite passed above hurricane Leslie on October 3, 2018 at 7:33 AM EDT (1133 UTC). Leslie had just been upgraded to a hurricane by the National Hurricane Center (NHC). GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) instrument collected data that revealed light to moderate convective rainfall in Leslie's clearly evident eye wall. Very little precipitation was shown by GPM in the center of the hurricane's nearly circular eye. Algorithms developed by NASA's Precipitation Measurement Missions (PMM) science team indicated that rain was falling at over 1.8 inches (45.7 mm) per hour within

The GPM core observatory recently had a couple good looks at tropical storm Walaka as it was intensifying into a powerful hurricane. GPM passed directly over tropical storm Walaka when it was located south of the Hawaiian islands on September 30, 2018 at 8:38 AM HST (1838 UTC). Data collected by GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments showed that Walaka was well organized and very close to hurricane intensity. GPM's Radar (DPR Ku Band) data revealed intense convective storms in a large feeder band that was wrapping around the tropical storm's

View fullscreen in STORM Event Viewer Once a Category 5 Super Typhoon, Trami has become rooted in place due to a lack of steering flow. This has caused the storm to deplete the warm waters beneath it and it has since weakened to a Category 2 with maximum winds of 90 knots. It maintains a broad eye and once it begins moving again, is likely to reintensify at least somewhat as it zooms northeastward over the Ryukyu Islands and into the southern coast of Japan. Wind impacts are likely to be exacerbated by its forward speed and current forecasts expect it to have widespread impacts in a region

The GMI overflight here shows a clear center of circulation with much of the intense convection on the south side of Hurricane Rosa, a Category 1 storm with winds of 75 knots. It is expected to continue intensifying over the next couple days before it runs into strong shear and cooler waters off the Baja California coast. Forecasts suggest it will make landfall in Northern Baja as a tropical storm, with its primary impacts being heavy rainfall and flash flooding over the Desert Southwest.

The GPM core observatory satellite probed super typhoon TRAMI when it traveled above the northwestern Pacific Ocean on September 24, 2018 at 1203 UTC. At that time TRAMI had maximum sustained winds estimated at 130 kts (150 mph). This image shows rainfall measurements that were made using data collected by GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments. GPM's GMI showed the locations of extremely heavy rainfall in the super typhoon's well defined circular eye. GPM's radar (DPR Ku Band) coverage was limited because it's swath only included storms on the

#NASA's GPM IMERG data product was used to estimate the devastating heavy rainfall that fell on China and the Philippines from #TyphoonMangkhut. This video shows storm-total and 3-hourly precipitation accumulations from 9/11/17 - 9/17/18. Learn more: https://t.co/8PzhK9pCDW pic.twitter.com/x6gf6N8VWH — NASA Precipitation (@NASARain) September 18, 2018 In the past week, Typhoon Mangkhut has affected the Philippines, mainland China, and Hong Kong, as shown in this 7-day animation of NASA's satellite-based IMERG precipitation product. The upper frame shows the storm-total accumulation starting at

Over the weekend #HurricaneFlorence brought torrential rains and record flooding to the Carolinas. This GPM IMERG visualization shows storm-total accumulated rainfall on the left for 9/12/18 - 9/17/18 vs. a sequence of 3-hour accumulations on the right https://t.co/numzHJXzb2 pic.twitter.com/pzAgkVrRXl — NASA Precipitation (@NASARain) September 17, 2018 After making its way across the Atlantic, Florence, a once powerful Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds reported at 140 mph by the National Hurricane Center (NHC), finally made landfall early Friday morning at around 7:15 am EDT

The GPM core observatory satellite has recently provided very useful information about super typhoon MANGKHUT in the western Pacific Ocean. A few days ago MANGHUT battered the Marianas Islands. MANGKHUT's destructive winds pounded the island of GUAM causing power outages and it's extremely heavy rainfall caused flash floods. The GPM core observatory satellite passed over super typhoon MANGKHUT on September 11, 2018 at 0407 UTC when it was west of GUAM. GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) collected data showing that MANGKHUT was a large and very well

Hurricane Florence, tropical storm ISAAC and hurricane Helene are currently active in the Atlantic Ocean. Tropical storm ISAAC is the next tropical cyclone to affect the western Atlantic. It is moving westward toward the Leeward and Windward Islands. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) predicts that ISAAC will pass through the Leeward and Windward Islands and move into the Caribbean Sea over the next few days. The NHC predicts that ISAAC will weaken as it encounters moderate vertical shear and nearby dry air. The GPM core observatory satellite had an excellent view of tropical storm ISAAC on