One major concern is rapid intensification, which occurs when a storm’s maximum sustained winds jump about 55 km/h within a 24-hour period. The data collected by Saildrones could provide models and meteorologists an extra boost in understanding how these storms strengthen.Ī visible satellite image of Category 4 Hurricane Sam on October 1, 2021. Satellite data and routine Hurricane Hunter flights give us a great snapshot of what’s going on inside of a storm, but there’s still more to learn. After all, a budding tropical cyclone can’t take advantage of warm waters if its structure is a mess. While meteorologists have a better understanding of what steers a hurricane, they’re still learning more about what drives a hurricane’s intensity.Ī hurricane’s intensity is as much dictated by the structure of the storm itself as it is by environmental factors around the storm, such as sea surface temperatures. INTENSITY FORECASTS STILL LAG BEHIND TRACK FORECASTS Meteorologists have fine-tuned both their weather models and their knowledge to better understand how the big picture affects hurricane tracks, which can give folks along the coast plenty of time to prepare for an approaching storm. A five-day hurricane track forecast today is about as accurate as a two-day hurricane track forecast was back in 1992, the same year that Category 5 Hurricane Andrew devastated southern Florida. National Hurricane Center (NHC) has made tremendous improvements in hurricane track forecasting over the years. Troughs and ridges can tug and pull on storms, sending them careening into the coast or trekking safely out to sea. The track of a hurricane is often dictated by large-scale steering patterns. National Hurricane Center's official annual average track errors for tropical storm and hurricanes between 19. “New data from saildrones and other uncrewed systems that NOAA is using will help us better predict the forces that drive hurricanes and be able to warn communities earlier,” NOAA scientist Greg Foltz said in the press release.Ī chart showing the U.S. Sailing a drone into the eye of a powerful hurricane makes for gripping visuals, but there’s a more noble purpose to the mission than just collecting awesome footage. The release added that the drone is “equipped with a specially designed ‘hurricane wing,’ enabling it to operate in extreme wind conditions.” A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HURRICANES “SD 1045 is one of a fleet of five ‘hurricane’ Saildrones that have been operating in the Atlantic Ocean during hurricane season, gathering data around the clock to help understand the physical processes of hurricanes,” according to a NOAA-issued press release on September 30.
The Saildrone Explorer SD 1045 battled the full fury of Hurricane Sam’s eyewall on the morning of September 30, enduring 15 m waves and winds stronger than 190 km/h to send back a first-of-its-kind video right from the core of the storm. A snapshot of footage captured by Saildrone Explorer SD 1045 in Hurricane Sam's eyewall on September 30, 2021.