As hurricane season presses on, scientists are the ones to thank for gathering data that enables the most accurate forecasts possible.
NOAA Hurricane Hunters are brave enough to fly into extreme storms multiple times a day for hours at a time — even as winds, such as those in Hurricane Milton, reach nearly 200 mph. FOX 32's Kaitlin Cody had the opportunity to speak with NOAA WP-3D Orion Hurricane Hunter pilot, Commander Josh Rannenberg, who flew into Hurricane Milton, to get an inside look at one of the most fascinating jobs imaginable.
The planes carry instruments that continuously transmit measurements of pressure, humidity, temperature, wind direction and speed as they fall toward the sea, providing a detailed look at the storm's structure and intensity. The P-3s' tail Doppler radar and lower fuselage radar systems, meanwhile, scan the storm vertically and horizontally, giving scientists and forecasters a real-time view of the storm.
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Hurricane Hunter Witnesses Rapid Intensification of Hurricane MiltonLt. Cmdr. Josh Rannenberg, lead pilot of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Hurricane Hunters, experienced firsthand the rapid intensification of Hurricane Milton as he flew into the storm on Wednesday. He witnessed the hurricane grow from a tropical storm to a Category 5 monster within two missions, a rate he's never seen before.
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