How do the Hurricane Hunters fly into strong storms and what do they do when they get there?
A look at how the Hurricane Hunters can fly into some of the strongest storms to collect data.
HOUSTON — An important tool that is used when determining a storm system's strength and movement is the Hurricane Hunters who fly directly into the middle of the storm.
But, how do they do it? What are they doing when they get inside?
First, they're flying a plane called a WC-130J Hercules, a modified version of the C-130 plane that helps battle wildfires in California.
The plane can stay in the sky for a long time and can take a beating.
The airborne science missions are run by the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, which has been flying into storms since 1944.
In the plane's cargo section, two different pallets of computer systems take all of the data from the sensors on the plane's exterior to help determine what's going on inside the storm.
The hunters also drop parachute-type sensors called Sondes, which float through the storm and relay information about pressure, wind speed and direction.
OVER THE CARIBBEAN - Inside the eye of Category 5 Hurricane #Beryl!
NOAA WP-3D Orion #NOAA43 “Miss Piggy” continues operations into Hurricane #Beryl to collect data for hurricane forecasting and research.
Visit https://t.co/3phpgKNx0q for the latest forecast and advisories.… pic.twitter.com/Ld3kjkcPh1— NOAA Aircraft Operations Center (@NOAA_HurrHunter) July 2, 2024
All the information comes together, is processed, and is then shared through the National Hurricane Center.
The Hurricane Hunters aren't the only ones studying storms from above. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also has a couple of planes that fly into and around hurricanes to measure what's happening.
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