Western Pacific

The first typhoon in the western Pacific Ocean (NEPARTAK) didn't form until July this year. Since then tropical cyclone activity has increased with four of the named tropical cyclones coming near Japan. Typhoon Chantu recently brought strong winds and heavy rain to northern Japan. Tropical storm Lionrock quickly followed Chantu and is predicted to strengthen little while moving past to the south of Japan. Another tropical storm called Mindulle formed today in the Pacific Ocean northwest of Guam. Mindulle is predicted to move northward, intensify and become a typhoon just before hitting

On November 18, 2015 at 1533 the GPM core observatory satellite flew directly over a recently formed typhoon called IN-FA that was located near the Equator well to the southeast of Guam. Favorable environmental conditions such as low vertical wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures helped typhoon IN-FA intensify quickly from a tropical depression on November 17 to a typhoon on November 18, 2015. Rainfall from GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments were used to analyze the rainfall around typhoon IN-FA. GPM's DPR found that rain was falling at

The GPM core observatory satellite flew over a newly formed tropical depression Chan-Hom (09W) on June 30, 2015 at 0841Z. GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) found that rain was falling at a rate of over 78 mm (about 3 inches) per hour near the center of the newly formed tropical cyclone.