High rates of rainfall appear in red, with lesser amounts appearing in blue. TRMM gathered data for these images of hurricanes Mitch, Georges, and Earl in 1998. Scientists believe that towering cloud structures like this are probably precursors to hurricane intensification. The satellite obtained these images on August 22, 1998. TRMM's Microwave Imager collected the data for these observations.
Tropical rainfall comprises more than two-thirds of the world's total.
The satellite uses several instruments to detect rainfall including radar, microwave imaging, and lightning sensors.