Hurricane hunters get equipment boost

WASHINGTON, Feb. 29 (UPI) -- The National Hurricane Center said the U.S. hurricane hunter air fleet is now equipped with a specialized surface wind instrument.

A stepped frequency microwave radiometer attached to the wing of each aircraft detects radiation that is naturally emitted from foam created on the sea by winds at the surface. Computers on board the aircraft then determine surface wind speeds based on the levels of microwave radiation detected. the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Friday in a release.

"Data from these devices can improve our ability to forecast intensity changes of tropical systems," NOAA administrator Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr. said in a statement.

Previously, air crews extrapolated wind speeds from the aircraft's altitude or from a GPS dropsonde released from the aircraft, the NOAA said.

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