Images and caption by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC)

Tropical cyclone Kenanga has started to weaken as predicted. The GPM core observatory satellite had an excellent view of Kenanga on December 20, 2018 at 1454 UTC when the tropical cyclone's maximum sustained winds had decreased to about 90 kts (103.5 mph). That GPM pass also showed that the eye that was so prominent a day earlier had filled. Data collected by the satellite's Microwave Imager (GMI) and GPM's Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments revealed through the overcast that powerful storms south of Kenanga's center of circulation were still producing very heavy rainfall

Heavy precipitation has been falling in areas of California that were recently devastated by deadly wildfires. This flooding rainfall has resulted in evacuations in burn scarred areas such as Butte County where the deadly Camp Fire hit this month. Flash floods, debris flows and mudslides are now predicted in areas where deadly wildfires stripped away vegetation. On a positive note these Pacific storms are expected to dampen wildfires and replenish the Sierra Nevada snowpack. This snowpack is an important source of water for California's streams and rivers. NASA's Integrated Multi-satellitE

Usagi strengthened to hurricane intensity as it approached Vietnam from the South China Sea but weakened to tropical storm intensity when coming ashore. Very heavy rainfall and damaging winds accompanied tropical storm Usagi when it hit Vietnam's southern coast. More than 350 mm (14 inches) of rainfall was reported causing widespread flooding around Ho Chi Minh City. NASA's Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) data were used to show estimates of rainfall accumulation produced by Usagi as the tropical cyclone moved across the South China Sea into Southeast Asia. This IMERG

Tropical cyclone Gaja recently caused the deaths of at least 33 people in the southern India state of Tamil Nadu. Gaja's high wind and heavy rains caused landslides and building collapses. Gaja's maximum sustained winds had reached about 75kts (86 mph) when it hit southern India on Friday November 16, 2018. This meant that Gaja was the equivalent of a category one on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. Today another tropical low is also moving over southern India and is expected to produce more heavy rainfall in the same area. NASA's Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG)

During the past week a strong low-pressure system moving through southern Europe battered, drenched and flooded Italy. It caused flooding, landslides and other damage to large areas of the country. The deaths of at least 11 people have been attributed to this stormy weather. High winds knocked down many trees and heavy rainfall from these storms contributed to flooding in large areas of Italy. Venice was inundated when heavy rain fell and a surge of water from the Adriatic Sea was pushed into the city by the storm's very high winds. Data from various satellites, that cover most of the globe

Typhoon YUTU (known as Rosita in the Philippines) is now threatening the Philippine Island of Luzon. On October 24, 2018 YUTU devastated the northern Mariana Islands of Tinian and Saipan as a super typhoon. One death has been attributed to the typhoon in the Marianas with many structures including schools and hospitals being destroyed. Typhoon YUTU weakened as it moved toward the Philippines and had maximum sustained winds of about 90 kts (103.5 mph) when the GPM core observatory satellite passed above the Philippine Sea on October 29, 2018 at 0212 UTC. This rainfall analysis was developed

Hurricane Willa was moving northward toward the western coast of Mexico when the GPM core observatory passed above on October 21, 2018 at 1:51 PM MDT (1951 UTC). The hurricane had maximum sustained winds of about 95 mph (109 kts). Since then Willa has rapidly intensified and today has winds of 155 mph (135 kts) making it a dangerous category four on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments collected data showing that hurricane Willa and feeder bands were producing heavy rainfall over a large area. The

Tropical Depression fifteen was located southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands when it became tropical storm Nadine early on October 9, 2018. The GPM core observatory collected significant information about Nadine when it scanned the tropical storm's center of circulation on October 10, 2018 at 3:01 AM EDT (0701 UTC). Nadine was a small tropical storm but GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) data revealed that extreme rainfall was occurring in areas around the center of the tropical cyclone. GPM's radar (DPR Ku Band) measurements indicated that rain was

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