TRMM News

GPM Views Typhoon Dolphin Headed For Guam

Typhoon Dolphin formed south of Pohnpei in the western Pacific Ocean on May 7, 2015. Dolphin's power has oscillated from a weak tropical depression to typhoon intensity over the past five days. Dolphin is now an intensifying typhoon headed westward. The GPM core observatory satellite flew over Dolphin on May 12, 2015 at 2301 UTC. At that time Dolphin's wind speeds were estimated at about 65 kts (75 mph). Rainfall collected by GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) showed that rain was falling at a rate of over 47 mm (1.9 inches) per hour in a feeder band to the southeast of Dolphin's eye. Ku Band data

Ana Becomes First 2015 Atlantic Tropical Storm & Weakens Ashore

On May 9, 2015 at 1626 UTC ( 12:26 PM EDT) the GPM satellite flew over when Ana was making the change from subtropical storm to tropical storm. Convective storms near the inner-core region were warming the center of the storm with heat generated by condensation. GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) measured rain falling at at rate of over 58.7 (2.31 inches) per hour in these convective storms near ANA's center. The lighter swath to the west of Ana's center shows the area viewed by GPM's Ku/Ka-band Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR). On Sunday morning (May 10, 2015) Tropical storm ANA dropped

GPM Flys Above Subtropical Storm Ana

During the past few days subtropical storm Ana was developing off the southeastern coast of the United States. Yesterday and today the GPM core observatory satellite had two good views of subtropical storm Ana. The image above shows the developing subtropical storm on May 7, 2015 at 1636 UTC (12:36 PM EDT). This GPM pass occurred a little over 10 hours before the National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued their first advisory at 0300 UTC ( 11:00 PM EDT). This image shows rainfall derived from GPM's Ku/Ka-band Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) and a multi-channel GPM Microwave Imager (GMI)

Typhoon Noul Beginning to Strengthen in the West Pacific

Since its formation as a tropical depression 3 days ago, Typhoon Noul has taken on a general westward motion while steadily working its way across the central-west Pacific. During this time, the system passed over Yap where it brought heavy rain and strong gusty winds. Thus far, Noul has been only slowly strengthening, becoming a minimal typhoon just one day ago. That appears likely to change, however, as the system now seems poised to intensify as it passes well north of Palau in the genearal direction of the Philippines. NASA's GPM Core observatory satellite captured this image of Noul as it

NASA IMERG Sees Australia's Bicoastal Rainfall

The rainfall accumulation analysis above was computed from data generated by the Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) during the period from April 28 to May 3, 2015. During this period IMERG algorithms continuously merged and interpolated satellite passive microwave precipitation estimates and microwave-calibrated infrared (IR) satellite estimates over the entire globe. Rainfall from cyclone Quang fell over the west coast and a non-tropical system pounded the east coast of Australia simultaneously during the past weekend. Cyclone Quang formed in the South Indian Ocean

GPM Sees Weekend Texas Tornadoes

Stormy spring weather over the Southwest popping up during the past weekend with at least twenty tornadoes sightings over Texas on Sunday April 26, 2015. The GPM core Observatory satellite had a good view of severe storms developing yesterday through central Texas when it flew over at 2134 UTC (4:42 PM CDT). Large hail and heavy rainfall was associated with some of these storms. This image shows a 3-D view of severe weather over Texas using data from the first space-borne Ku/Ka-band Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) on board the GPM Core Observatory satellite. Ku Band radar from this

A GPM View of Tornado Spawning Thunderstorms

Twelve tornado sightings reported to NOAA yesterday were associated with severe thunderstorms extending from the Texas Gulf coast, through Oklahoma and Kansas. The GPM core observatory satellite had a good look at this area of severe weather on April 17, 2015 at 0003 UTC (April 16, 2015 at 7:03 PM CDT). A precipitation analysis using GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) shows that some of these severe storms were dropping rain at a rate of over 86 mm (about 3.4 inches) per hour. Reflectivity data from the Ku band on GPM's dual frequency radar was used to construct this 3-D view of tornado spawning

GPM Sees Remnants of Joalane

The GPM core observatory satellite had a last look at the remnants of Cyclone Joalane in the South Indian Ocean on April 14, 2015 at 1135 UTC (about 16:35 Local Time). GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) instrument found very little rainfall around Joalane's center but light to moderate rainfall in bands on the outer edges of the rapidly weakening tropical cyclone.

TRMM Measures Rainfall In Ikola And Joalane

Since being launched in November 1997 the TRMM satellite produced huge volumes of precise precipitation measurements for use in climatology . Near real time collection of data also provided valuable information such as rainfall distribution, three dimensional structure and the stages of development for tropical cyclones. The TRMM satellite saw two tropical cyclones with successive orbits over the the South Indian Ocean on Tuesday April 7, 2015. Cyclone Ikola was the first to come into view when TRMM passed over at 1646 UTC and then the satellite had a good look at cyclone Joalane at 1755 UTC

GPM Looks Into Cyclone Joalane's Eye

Cyclone Joalane had developed a small clear eye when the GPM core observatory satellite passed above on April 7, 2015 at 1436 UTC. GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) data showed that the heaviest rain was falling at a rate of over 78.6 mm (3 inches) per hour in a feeder band wrapping around Joalane's eastern side. This simulated 3-D flyby around Joalane was made using data from the Ku band on GPM's dual frequency radar. Those radar data discovered that the intense thunderstorms, reaching heights above 16 km (9.9 miles), were located where the heaviest rainfall was measured by GPM's GMI.