Pilots from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) flew inside the Hurricane Milton which is advancing towards Florida, in the United States, with the potential to become one of the most destructive storms ever recorded, according to the country’s National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The crew went through tense moments while facing the winds of Hurricane Milton, which reached 281 km/h, but the “hurricane hunters” (or “Hurricane Hunters” in Portuguese), as they are known, are already used to facing these storms.
NOAA pilots and researchers fly aboard specific planes to collect data that helps meteorologists make more accurate forecasts and hurricane researchers better understand the processes of these storms, improving their models.
Hurricane hunters use two aircraft for these missions: the P-3 Orion (used to fly inside the hurricane) and the G-IV Jet (used to fly above and around the storm).
NOAA pilots, civil flight engineers, meteorologists and electronics engineers are highly trained to operate in these types of adverse weather conditions, as is the equipment used on board that is designed for this.
The P-3 Orion models were originally designed to hunt submarines during the Cold War, but today they can withstand the winds, rain and violent upward and downward air currents of a hurricane, even managing to cross the wall of clouds formed around the eye of the hurricane.
Aboard the plane, scientists use instruments that continuously transmit data on pressure, humidity, temperature, and wind direction and speed as they fly through the hurricane, providing a detailed look at the storm’s structure and intensity.
Radar systems in the plane’s tail and lower fuselage also scan the weather phenomenon vertically and horizontally, giving a real-time view of the storm. Some missions even have the main objective of measuring the pressure in the eye of the hurricane and the winds around the eye.
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This content was originally published in Who are “hurricane hunters” and what do they do? on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Charles Grill is a tech-savvy writer with over 3 years of experience in the field. He writes on a variety of technology-related topics and has a strong focus on the latest advancements in the industry. He is connected with several online news websites and is currently contributing to a technology-focused platform.
