NOAA and Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters continue around the clock monitoring of Hurricane Delta as it traverses the Gulf of America. Overnight flights on October 7 through midday October 8 found that Delta’s circulation is intensifying and expanding in size.
The latest Environmental Modeling Center (EMC) tasked mission by the NOAA P-3 hurricane hunter aircraft detected an increase in Delta’s peak wind speed to 105 mph, with a broad tropical storm-force wind field, extending about 125 miles outward from the center.
AOML hurricane scientists supporting these missions quality control data in real time prior to being used to optimize numerical weather prediction. Measurements from the NOAA P-3 Tail Doppler Radar (TDR) collected on the morning of October 8 illustrated that Delta’s circulation is stronger and better aligned in the vertical compared to data collected the previous day.
Information collected from TDR and other onboard instrumentation facilitates further research into processes important for tropical cyclone intensification. Many dropsondes deployed along the P-3’s flight track through the eye and eyewall can capture Delta’s wind, temperature, and moisture characteristics where severe conditions persist. These objectives have been added to the mission plan to address goals outlined in AOML’s Intensity Forecasting Experiment (IFEX).
El reconocimiento de la EMC para el huracán Delta continúa esta noche y mañana con misiones P-3 antes de que el sistema llegue a tierra. Se pueden añadir objetivos científicos adicionales a los planes de vuelo a medida que evolucionen las condiciones del núcleo y el entorno del sistema.
Hurricane Delta is forecast by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) to make landfall on the northern Gulf coast the evening of Friday, October 9. NOAA’s P-3 aircraft will continue collecting observations prior to Delta’s landfall to provide the latest information to forecasters and numerical models.
>> Scientists H. Holbach / K. Ryan
>> Edits by R. Kravetz
For details about reconnaissance aircraft missions, please see NOAA’s official Plan of the Day.
For the latest information about tropical cyclones and other weather systems, please visit the NOAA/NWS/National Hurricane Center.
For information on numerical prediction of tropical cyclones, please visit NOAA/NCEP/Environmental Modeling Center.
To access updates on the Intensity Forecasting EXperiment (IFEX) and other activities via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS feed, check out the NOAA/AOML/HRD page.
To directly access updates on IFEX HFP Operations via our WordPress blog on the web, check the site: https://noaahrd.wordpress.com/category/ifex-hurricane-field-program/
DISCLAIMER: The above discussion is intended to provide a brief summary of recent and future HRD Hurricane Field Program Operations. Any use of this material beyond its original intent is prohibited without permission of the HRD Director, Frank Marks (Frank.Marks@noaa.gov). Media inquiries should be directed to AOML Communications (aoml.communications@noaa.gov), Monica Allen (301-734-1123) or Monica.Allen@noaa.gov.