NASA and NOAA see massive rainfall and winds in Hurricane Irma – now Cat3

From NHC: DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK

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At 500 PM AST (2100 UTC), the center of Hurricane Irma was located near latitude 18.8 North, longitude 39.1 West. Irma is moving toward the west near 13 mph (20 km/h). A turn toward the west-southwest is expected tomorrow.

Maximum sustained winds are near 120 mph (195 km/h) with higher gusts. Irma is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Fluctuations in strength, up or down, are possible during the next few days, but Irma is expected to remain a powerful hurricane through the weekend.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles (35 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles (165 km).

The estimated minimum central pressure is 964 mb (28.47 inches).

From NASA/GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER:

NASA gets a night-time and under-the-hood look at Hurricane Irma

NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP Satellite provided a night-time and infrared look at the Atlantic’s latest hurricane that revealed the power under the clouds. NASA’s GPM also provided a look at the rainfall being generated by Hurricane Irma.

After forming in the eastern Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday tropical storm Irma strengthened and became a powerful category three hurricane on Thursday August 31, 2017.

 

Finding Irma’s Heaviest Rainfall

That heavy rainfall was confirmed by the Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core satellite.

Hurricane Irma was moving west-northwestward with winds of about 115 mph (100 knots) when the GPM core Observatory satellite saw it on September 1 at 1:47 a.m. EDT (0547 UTC). Data collected by GPM’s Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments showed the locations and intensity of heavy precipitation within the hurricane. GPM’s Radar (DPR Ku band) found that a powerful convective storm in a band of rain on Irma’s northern side was dropping rain at a rate of almost 6.3 inches (159 mm) per hour.

On Sept. 1 at 0347 UTC (Aug. 31 at 11:47 p.m. EDT) the VIIRS instrument aboard NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite captured a night-time infrared image of Hurricane Irma in the Atlantic Ocean that showed powerful thunderstorms around the eye. Credits: NASA/NOAA/UWM-CIMSS, William Straka III

GPM’s radar (DPR Ku Band) showed the height and the 3-D rainfall structure of powerful storms spiraling around hurricane Irma. DPR showed that storm tops were reaching heights of over 9.6 miles (15.5 km) in the band of powerful convective storms north of the hurricane’s center. GPM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA.

On Sept. 1 at 1:47 a.m. EDT (0547 UTC) GPM core observatory found a band of rain on Irma’s northern side was dropping rain at a rate of almost 6.3 inches (159 mm) per hour where storm tops were reaching heights of over 9.6 miles (15.5 km). Credits: NASA/JAXA, Hal Pierce

Irma’s Location and Strength on Sept. 1

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) on Sept. 1 that Irma was undergoing an eyewall replacement cycle. The small eye was becoming less distinct, with both microwave and visible imagery indicating the presence of a forming outer eyewall.

On Sept. 1 at 0347 UTC (Aug. 31 at 11:47 p.m. EDT) the VIIRS instrument aboard NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite captured a night-time image of Hurricane Irma in the Atlantic Ocean that showed a tight circulation. Credit:
CREDIT Credits: ASA/NOAA/UWM-CIMSS, William Straka III

The center of Hurricane Irma was located near 18.5 degrees north latitude and 27.8 degrees west longitude. That’s about 1,580 miles (2,540 km) east of the Leeward Islands. Irma was moving toward the west-northwest near 13 mph (20 kph). A turn toward the west is expected by tonight, followed by a turn toward the west-southwest on Saturday, Sept. 2.

Maximum sustained winds are near 110 mph (175 kph) with higher gusts. Fluctuations in strength, up or down, are possible during the next few days, but Irma is expected to remain a powerful hurricane through the weekend. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 15 miles (30 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles (150 km).

The estimated minimum central pressure is 972 millibars.

The NHC predicts that hurricane Irma will slowly intensify while heading toward the west-northwest. Irma is predicted to have winds of over 123 mph (110 knots) within the next five days. This would make Irma a strong category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. There is some uncertainty about the long term direction of Irma’s movement.

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September 2, 2017 2:29 pm
ren
September 2, 2017 3:18 pm

Another system is preceded by a tropical hurricane Irma.
http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/east/tatl/wv-animated.gif

September 2, 2017 4:09 pm

It is called a Hurricane. Someone have the guys at NASA Google that and look at what destruction they used to bring routinely to the North American Continent…. oh yeah, that was until the warmist nutjob Al Gore predicted many more and more intense storms to come than Katrina (Cat 3) in 2005. Finally we had a mini-Hurricane that turned into a Tropical Storm Rain Event….albeit a very bad rain event, but only because it sat on top of the 4th largest city in North America for 3 days.

Dave
Reply to  Gordon Jeffrey Giles
September 3, 2017 5:01 pm

Katrina wasps classified as a 5

Charles Nelson
September 2, 2017 4:39 pm

My guess is it’s heading for Newfoundland.

toorightmate
Reply to  Charles Nelson
September 2, 2017 8:46 pm

I am worried about the Falkland Islands.

jesusdidntgiveuponme
Reply to  toorightmate
September 2, 2017 9:05 pm

Falklands? Seriously? Irma won’t be anywhere near it!

Reply to  toorightmate
September 3, 2017 12:10 am

I think that was his point

ren
September 2, 2017 11:06 pm

The animation shows a strong east current in the Caribbean Sea. This may mean a return to rain on the Texas coast.

ren
September 3, 2017 9:16 am

Irma hurricane heading to the Lesser Antilles.
http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/east/carb/ir4-animated.gif

Dave
September 3, 2017 4:59 pm

Flooding in Florida?

ren
Reply to  Dave
September 3, 2017 7:31 pm

Hurricane IRMA
As of 00:00 UTC Sep 04, 2017:
Location: 17.3N 50.4W
Maximum Winds: 100 kt Gusts: 120 kt
Minimum Central Pressure: 959 mb
Environmental Pressure: 1012 mb
Radius of Circulation: 240 NM
Radius of Maximum Wind: 15 NM
Eye Diameter: N/A
Atmospheric pressure decreases. Latitude decreases. The hurricane is moving to the Lesser Antilles.

2hotel9
Reply to  ren
September 3, 2017 7:58 pm

She has definitely held well below 20th, AccuWeather lists her as being down to 17.5 and still tracking west at 12-15mph. Eyewall appears to have opened up in the last few hours which usually is an indication of increasing strength. She is still compact, all the same, which is damned worrying.

ren
Reply to  Dave
September 4, 2017 1:15 am

This hurricane will cause great havoc and may reach Florida.
http://images.tinypic.pl/i/00930/e5j9ogydbc9c.png

ren
September 4, 2017 4:01 am

The further path of the hurricane depends on when the jet stream presses on the eastern US.
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/strat_a_f/gif_files/gfs_o3mr_200_nh_f00.png