GPM Reveals Very Strong Thunderstorms in Typhoon Choi-Wan

GPM Reveals Very Strong Thunderstorms in Typhoon Choi-Wan

GPM Reveals Very Strong Thunderstorms in Typhoon Choi-Wan

The GPM core observatory satellite flew above tropical storm Choi-Wan on October 5, 2015 at 1828 UTC and then saw Choi-Wan again as a hurricane on October 6, 2015 at 0448 UTC. The tropical cyclone was spreading clouds and rain over a large area of the northwest Pacific Ocean southeast of Japan. GPM discovered that Choi-Wan's organization had slightly improved. GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments were able to peer through the overcast and reveal the locations of rainfall bands within the tropical cyclone. GMI found several areas where Choi-Wan was dropping rain at a rate of over 66 mm (2.6 inches) per hour.

GPM Reveals Very Strong Thunderstorms in Typhoon Choi-Wan

With the first orbit on October 5,2015 GPM's 3-D radar (DPR Ku Band) found that powerful thunderstorms moving into Choi-Wan's southeastern side had storm tops reaching unusually high altitudes of up to 18.5 km (11.5 miles).

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