NASA-NOAA satellites captured detailed images of Hurricane Matthew's cloud tops, revealing temperatures as low as minus 80 F (-62.2 C), indicating strong storm uplift and potential heavy rain generation.
Hurricane Nicole strengthened to a hurricane on Oct. 6, joining forces with Hurricane Matthew in the Atlantic Ocean. The storm set an Atlantic Ocean record for winds exceeding 105 mph, marking the latest occurrence of two storms simultaneously reaching such speeds.
NASA's CloudSat and Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellites tracked Hurricane Matthew's powerful winds and clouds. The storm maintained Category 3 status with maximum sustained winds near 115 mph, affecting Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas.
Hurricane Matthew develops concentric eyewalls, a common feature in intense hurricanes, according to NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement mission. This indicates the storm is undergoing an eyewall replacement cycle, leading to weakening winds and changes in its track.
Tropical Storm Nicole is significantly smaller than powerful Hurricane Matthew, which is moving through the Bahamas. The storm's cloud pattern has changed little since its formation, and it holds steady just below hurricane strength as it crawls toward Bermuda.
Hurricane Matthew is forecast to be a category 4 hurricane as it approaches the east coast of Florida. The storm has already made landfall in western Haiti and is moving through the Bahamas.
Hurricane Matthew regained Category 4 status with sustained winds near 140 mph and a minimum central pressure of 940 millibars. The storm is expected to cross the northwestern Bahamas today and approach the Florida coast, potentially strengthening further before landfall.
Hurricane Matthew is forecast to make landfall in Haiti and then move toward the Bahamas, with maximum sustained winds near 120 mph. The storm's minimum central pressure is 962 millibars, and it is expected to remain at category 3 or stronger while moving through the Bahamas and approaching Florida.
Hurricane Matthew made landfall in western Haiti on October 4, with NASA tracking its movements and intensity. The storm's maximum sustained winds reached near 145 mph, making it a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
Tropical Storm Nicole has formed about 500 miles northeast of Puerto Rico, with a well-defined circulation and maximum sustained winds near 50 mph. The storm is expected to move northwest at 8 mph, then turn north-northwest with decreasing speed over the next couple of days.
Heavy rainfall from Hurricane Matthew has been detected by NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement mission, with rates reaching over 6.4 inches per hour in some areas. The storm is expected to cause devastating torrential rainfall as it moves slowly over Haiti.
Hurricane Newton made two landfalls in Mexico, with NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites capturing its trajectory and intensity. The storm's center passed over Baja California and the mainland of western Mexico, causing high winds and flash floods in nearby areas.
Hurricane Newton is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rains to Baja California Sur, Mexico, with total rain accumulations of 8-12 inches. The storm's trajectory suggests it will pass over the Gulf of California late this afternoon or evening.
Hurricane Hermine made landfall near Saint Marks, Florida with 80 mph winds, and then moved into Georgia where it weakened to a tropical storm. The NASA/NOAA GOES Project created an animation showing the development of Hermine into a hurricane during the afternoon of Sept. 1.
Hurricane Gaston is maintaining its eye despite a degraded satellite appearance, according to NASA. The storm is expected to weaken further as it approaches the Azores Islands, with maximum sustained winds decreasing to near 85 mph.
Hurricane Lester has moved into the Central Pacific Ocean, prompting new hurricane watches for Hawaii. The storm is expected to bring powerful thunderstorms and heavy rains to the islands on Saturday.
Hurricane Gaston has a large cloudless eye surrounded by powerful thunderstorms, according to NASA's Suomi NPP satellite. The storm is moving northeast at 9 mph and may affect the Azores Islands later in the week.
The Global Precipitation Measurement mission tracked Hurricane Lester as it continued through the Eastern Pacific Ocean, showing extremely heavy rainfall rates of over 7.1 inches per hour. The satellite also revealed a strong hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 140 mph and estimated minimum central pressure of 948 millibars.
Satellites show Hurricane Madeline has weakened from a Category 4 storm to a Category 1 storm as it approaches Hawaii. The storm is expected to bring tropical storm conditions, heavy rainfall, and storm surge to the islands, with the potential for dangerous flash floods and mudslides.
NASA satellites captured images of Hurricane Lester as it weakened to a Category 3 hurricane on August 30. The storm showed signs of weakening due to decreased deep convection within its central dense overcast. Forecasters predict continued westward movement before the storm turns northwest.
Hurricane Gaston is a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 115 mph, located about 575 miles east of Bermuda. The storm is expected to move over decreasing sea surface temperatures and into increasing vertical wind shear, causing a gradual weakening.
Tropical Storm Madeline in the Central Pacific Ocean has strengthened into a hurricane, according to NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite imagery. The storm is showing signs of organization, with a well-formed eyewall and little vertical wind shear deformation.
Hurricane Lester is the fourth major hurricane of the 2016 eastern North Pacific hurricane season. It has strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 115 mph and is expected to move westward for the next couple of days.
Gaston became a hurricane on Aug. 25 with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, but heavy rain rates of around 50 mm/h were occurring near the center due to southwesterly wind shear. The storm's trajectory is expected to shift northwestward over the next several days as it battles strong environmental wind shear.
A tropical wave is bringing heavy rainfall and gusty winds to islands in the Atlantic Ocean and northeastern Caribbean Sea. The National Hurricane Center predicts that the system could develop into a tropical depression, posing danger to the Bahamas and southeastern United States.
Researchers warn that economic growth will not be able to counterbalance hurricane losses under unchecked global warming. Historical losses due to tropical cyclones have been found to increase less than linearly with a nation's affected GDP, but per capita income does not protect against hurricane losses.
Hurricane Earl caused extreme rain in southern Mexico, with some areas receiving up to 43.3 inches of rain. The remnants of the storm interacted with another weather system, forming Tropical Storm Javier.
Hurricane Frank showed a transition from weakening to strengthening phases, with cloud top temperatures warming on July 25 and cooling on July 26. The storm's winds were measured by NASA's RapidScat instrument, which found tropical-storm-force winds extending outward up to 70 miles.
Tropical cyclones Georgette and Frank in the Eastern Pacific Ocean show see-sawing strength, with hurricane Frank strengthening while tropical storm Georgette weakening. Maximum sustained winds for Georgette have decreased to near 70 mph, with further weakening forecasted.
Hurricane Georgette is a powerful storm with a clear eye visible on NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite image. The storm strengthened to a category 4 hurricane before weakening and becoming a remnant low in about 3 days.
Hurricane Darby's strength is decreasing due to warming cloud tops, indicating a weakening circulation with strong convection. The storm is expected to become a tropical storm later today, with maximum sustained winds remaining near 75mph.
NASA's RapidScat instrument revealed a cloud-filled eye in Hurricane Darby, with sustained winds exceeding 67 mph. The storm is expected to weaken further over the next 48 hours, becoming a tropical storm later today.
Hurricane Darby's eye features powerful thunderstorms and a ragged 25 nautical mile-wide center. The storm is expected to weaken due to cooler sea surface temperatures.
NASA's RapidScat instrument measured strong winds in Hurricane Darby reaching 67 mph near its center, with tropical-storm-force winds extending up to 150 miles from the center.
Tropical Storm Darby strengthened rapidly, with maximum sustained winds reaching 70 mph and gusts exceeding 110 kph. NASA used satellite imagery to estimate the storm's minimum central pressure at 998 millibars.
NASA's RapidScat instrument measured surface wind speeds exceeding 30 meters per second, while the GPM core satellite detected rainfall rates of up to 33 mm/h near Hurricane Celia's eye wall. The storm weakened to a tropical storm on July 13, with forecasted weakening continuing over the next 48 hours.
Hurricane Celia is currently in the Eastern Pacific Ocean but will issue warnings once it passes west of 140 degrees west longitude. NASA satellites capture images showing a cloud-filled eye and powerful thunderstorms wrapping around the low-level center.
Hurricane Celia has strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 90 mph. The storm is expected to move towards the west-northwest with decreasing speed, potentially weakening by Tuesday.
The Suomi NPP satellite captured a visible image showing Hurricane Blas' eye filled with high clouds, while infrared imagery revealed a pinhole eye. The storm was weakening rapidly, with maximum sustained winds decreasing to near 105 mph.
Tropical Depression 4E intensified into Tropical Storm Celia, with a better-organized cloud pattern and increased winds. The storm is expected to pass near an area of cooler sea surface temperatures, slowing its intensification before potentially strengthening into a hurricane by Sunday.
Hurricane Blas continues to hold a Category 3 status with a large eye and powerful thunderstorms. The storm is expected to weaken over the next two days, potentially becoming a tropical storm by Friday night.
Satellites captured a developing eye in Hurricane Blas, showing a cloud-filled and wide storm system. The hurricane is moving west-northwest at 12 mph and has maximum sustained winds of near 125 mph.
The first hurricane of the Eastern Pacific season, Blas, was analyzed by NASA on July 5. Powerful thunderstorms with very cold cloud top temperatures were detected in infrared light. The storm's surface winds were also monitored using the RapidScat instrument, which showed strong winds east of the center.
A collection of studies investigated the effects of Hurricane Sandy on public health, highlighting factors contributing to community resilience and healthcare system impacts. Research also explored the effect on at-risk individuals, with funding allocated through the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Penn State researchers found that incorporating 'hurricane hunter' data into weather prediction models can reduce forecast errors for wind speed and sea level pressure. This improvement can lead to billions of dollars in savings and provide more notice to people in the path of a storm.
A new study suggests that the GOES-R geostationary satellite can provide more accurate hurricane predictions by analyzing brightness temperature data. The satellite's high-resolution data allows for a more detailed understanding of hurricane intensity, including wind speed and sea level pressure.
A Rutgers-led study published in Nature Communications found a dynamic ocean process responsible for cooling coastal waters ahead of land-falling hurricanes. This process weakened Hurricane Irene as it neared New Jersey in 2011, improving forecasts and reducing losses linked to inaccuracies.
A new study reveals a 75% reduction in Caribbean hurricanes from 1645-1715, a time with little sunspot activity and cool temperatures. The research uses shipwrecks as a proxy for hurricane activity and provides an annual record of Caribbean hurricanes going back to 1500.
Tropical Storm Alex formed in January 2016, becoming the earliest hurricane to do so since 1938. NASA analyzed storm data using AIRS, RapidScat, GPM, and Suomi NPP satellites, revealing strongest winds at 30 meters per second and rainfall rates decreasing significantly after declaration as a hurricane.
The remnants of former Hurricane Pali have dissipated and elongated due to strong vertical wind shear, losing its closed center. It is no longer possible to definitively locate a closed center in the system.
NASA's RapidScat instrument and Aqua satellite captured data on the storm, which formed from a low-pressure area. It became the first hurricane to form in January since 1938 and is expected to maintain hurricane status until January 16.
NASA analyzed data from GPM core observatory and Suomi NPP satellite, discovering the hurricane had an eye forming with heavy rain falling at 84.5 mm per hour on its eastern side. The storm's convective storms reached heights of over 12 km, while its strongest feeder band wrapped around its eastern side.
Hurricane Pali is a record-breaking storm that strengthened rapidly after being spotted by NASA's Terra satellite. The storm made landfall as the earliest hurricane on record in the central Pacific basin, with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph and a minimum central pressure of 979 millibars.
A non-tropical low pressure system with potential subtropical characteristics has developed in the Northern Atlantic, producing hurricane-force winds and gale-force conditions. The system is expected to produce hazardous marine conditions over parts of the central and eastern Atlantic for several days.
A newly developed tropical depression formed five months early in the 2016 hurricane season, indicating strong uplift and potential for heavy rain. The system tapped into significant directional wind shear and prevailing conditions conducive to development, classified as a tropical cyclone.
Hurricane Sandra's rainfall was extensively studied using NASA's Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) data. The analysis showed that the hurricane produced over 700 mm of rainfall in an area northeast of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Hurricane Sandra, the latest major hurricane on record in the Eastern Pacific, is forecast to make landfall in Western Mexico. It is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 1-3 inches over Baja California Sur, with isolated amounts reaching up to 10 inches.
Tropical Storm Sandra formed on Nov. 24 and strengthened into a late-season hurricane, with cloud top temperatures indicating powerful thunderstorms. The storm is forecast to turn northward and make landfall along Mexico's west coast by Friday, Nov. 27 or early Saturday
Tropical Storm Sandra strengthened to 35 knots with intense convective storms dropping rain at over 80 mm per hour. It is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane by Nov. 25, with a well-suited environment for intensification due to warm ocean water and light vertical wind shear.
NASA's GPM, RapidScat, and NOAA's GOES-East satellites observed former tropical cyclone Kate in the Northern Atlantic. The system exhibited intense storms with heavy rainfall and strong winds, peaking at category one hurricane strength on November 11, 2015.