The National Hurricane Center (NHC) tasked NOAA’s Hurricane Hunter aircraft to investigate Tropical Storm Hanna in the Gulf of Mexico Thursday, July 23, 2020. AOML scientists are providing remote-based data processing expertise for this operational mission.
The NOAA43 aircraft named “Miss Piggy” took off from Lakeland, FL at 5:30PM EDT to collect observations at 2500 feet altitude. No dropsondes are expected to be released due to the low flight altitude. However, the tail Doppler radar will collect information about the winds in areas of precipitation.
Tropical Storm Hanna has formed in the Gulf of Mexico from a broad, rotating area of thunderstorms. NHC forecasts the depression to intensify (over 40 mph) and make landfall Saturday afternoon in southern Texas.
For the latest information about tropical cyclones and other weather systems, visit the NOAA National Weather Service National Hurricane Center.
For information on numerical prediction of tropical cyclones, visit the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction Environmental Modeling Center.