Helene drone flight breaks records for data collection and flying time
As Hurricane Helene developed in the Gulf of Mexico, NOAA researchers gathered critical data from the sea and sky to better understand tropical cyclones and support the National Hurricane Center forecasters. This real time data gives meteorologists a clearer picture of the storm environment and structure, reducing forecast uncertainty. Satellite imagery shows Hurricane Helene as it travels north from the Yucatan Peninsula and towards the Gulf of Mexico. Researchers from NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) and University of Miami Cooperative Institute for Marine & Atmospheric Studies supported a series of NOAA Hurricane Hunter missions on September 25-26, 2024.