Middle East

GPM observed the early stages of a strong cyclonic system that developed over northern Africa just off the southern Mediterranean coast on March 11, 2020. The GMI measured heavy rain rates over some parts of Egypt, including the region around Cairo. View fullscreen By March 12, 2020, the cyclonic system that developed over northern Africa had intensified and was nicknamed 'The Dragon' on social media and news outlets, as it caused severe flooding in northern Egypt. Both the GMI and the DPR measured heavy rain rates across two of the storm's bands in this GPM overflight. View fullscreen On

The first cyclone to strike the area, Sagar, formed from an area of thunderstorm activity located in the western Arabian Sea south of the island of Socatra. The area of low pressure associated with the thunderstorms first moved northwest into the far eastern Gulf of Aden, where it intensified into a minimal tropical storm with sustained winds estimated at 35 knots (~40 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), before turning west and then southwest down the middle of the Gulf. As it moved down the Gulf, Sagar slowly strengthened into a stronger tropical storm with sustained winds