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Inside Hurricane Melissa With The U.S. Air Force Hurricane Hunters

NOAA Hurricane Hunters battered by extreme turbulence as WP-3D “Kermit” flies into Melissa’s eye

OVER THE CARIBBEAN - NOAA Hurricane Hunter Aircraft are flying missions into Hurricane #Ian to collect data to aid the NOAA NWS National Hurricane Center forecast. Here you can see an Airborne Vertical Atmospheric Profiling Station (AVAPS) technician launching a dropsonde into the center of then Tropical Storm #Ian on September 25, 2022. Dropsondes collect information on temperature, humidity, pressure, wind speed and wind direction as they fall to the surface of the ocean. Video Credit: Lt. Cmd

As Hurricane #Milton became the 5th strongest Atlantic hurricane on record, our crews were collecting critical data to help refine the forecast and provide warnings to those in its path. Take a look at our mission highlights! 🕑 97 hours flown ✈️ 16 missions flown across #NOAA42 #NOAA43 and #NOAA49 ⛈️ 22 eyewall passes ⬇️ 319 dropsondes deployed See more info about this storm at noaa.gov/Milton #FlyNOAA | The NOAA Hurricane Hunters