Hurricane Season 2005: Arlene
06.10.05
NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) satellite captured this 3D image of rainfall inside Tropical Storm Arlene, the first named tropical cyclone of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. The satellite shows a heavy cluster of thunderstorms on the northeast side of the circulation center. The Precipitation Radar on TRMM shows that within this cluster, extremely deep energy-releasing clouds extend to 17 km (56,000 feet). Three towering clouds (depicted in red) near the center of the circulation, are releasing a large amount of energy. The 3D image shows the height of the clouds, and the colors indicate the rain intensity, with red being the most intense.
Click on the above image for a higher resolution image.Credit: NASA/JAXA
Astronauts on the International Space Station took this image of Tropical Storm Arlene on June 10, 2005. Credit: NASA
Earlier Updates
Arlene is the first named tropical system of the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane season. Tropical Storm Arlene developed on June 8 from a region of tropical thunderstorms and rotation in the atmosphere in the western Caribbean, north of Honduras. It is not unusual for storms early in the Atlantic hurricane season to develop in the western Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. This TRMM image from early morning on June 9 shows the rainfall inside the clouds of Arlene. The satellite information confirms what Hurricane Hunter aircraft also determined: That the heavy rain clouds and region of strongest energy release were displaced 50-75 miles northeast of the storm's rotating core. Because the energy and spin are not well aligned, the current forecast is for Arlene to strengthen only gradually. This section will be updated continuously with breaking news about this storm and subsequent storms throughout the season.
Credit: NASA/JAXA
