Typhoon Surigae Rain Rate and Accumulation

This animation shows the rain rates (blue/yellow shading) and accumulations (green/purple shading) produced by Typhoon Surigae from April 12-25, 2021, estimated by NASA's Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) algorithm. Cloudiness is shown in shades of white/gray below the rain rates, based on geosynchronous satellite infrared observations. Surigae's intensity is shown by the multi-colored line, based on estimates by the U.S. Navy-Air Force Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) using the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale from 1 to 5. Typhoon Surigae formed over the Western Pacific Ocean on April 13, 2021, intensifying to a Category 1-equivalent storm by April 16 as it passed north of Palau. Surigae continued to intensify as it approached the Philippines, reaching Category-5 intensity by April 17 before gradually weakening as its path recurved to the northeast. Although Surigae didn't make landfall, it left heavy rainfall accumulations in its path, including over Palau, which IMERG estimated received over 300 millimeters (12 inches) of rainfall during the period of the animation. Local rain gauges showed similar accumulations during the same period of time.

NASA's IMERG product is a multi-satellite global estimate of rainfall produced in near real-time at half-hourly intervals. The global span of IMERG covers the oceans as well as land areas, which is a major advantage over ground-based radar and rain gauge measurements. IMERG allows atmospheric scientists to study extreme weather events, such as typhoons, and better understand the mechanisms that drive them, leading to better preparedness for future events.