GPM Observes Tropical Cyclone 12P Forming
On March 6, 2018 at 0825 UTC the GPM core observatory satellite flew above a forming tropical cyclone in the southern Pacific Ocean just east of Vanuatu. GPM's Dual Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) scanned storms in the center of forming tropical cyclone 12P's circulation. This view by GPM's DPR revealed that convective storms were dropping extremely heavy rainfall on the eastern edge of the forming tropical cyclone's low level center. DPR indicated that rain was falling at a rate of over 241 mm (9.5 inches) per hour in this area. The use of GPM satellite's radar data enabled this 3-D view