Summary: The CYclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) was launched into space on December 15, 2016, to improve hurricane (tropical cyclone) forecasts by measuring wind speed on the ocean surface. Since the tropical cyclones mostly occur over oceans where other wind data are usually not available, the new observations can measure their wind speeds. This study examines whether CYGNSS wind information will improve analyses and forecasts of hurricanes compared to older systems.
Important Conclusions: Using CYGNSS data in forecast models improves analyses and forecasts of where hurricanes will go and how intense they will be.
Using data every 3 hours in the models is better than at other times, as is currently done.
Read the paper at https://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/MWR-D-17-0240.1.