Hurricane Milton viewed by Sentinel-3

The Copernicus Sentinel-3A satellite took the temperature at the top of Hurricane Milton as it headed across the Gulf of Mexico towards Florida on 9 October 2024. The storm subsequently ripped through the state, destroying homes, buildings, buildings and power lines, and lives were lost. This image show the brightness temperature at the top of the storm, which range from about –75°C at the centre of the storm to –25°C at the storm edges. Over the sea and land, temperatures are around 25°C.

Hurricanes are one of the forces of nature that can be tracked only by satellites, providing up-to-date imagery so that authorities know when to take precautionary measures. Satellites deliver information on a storm’s extent, wind speed and path, and on key features such as cloud thickness, temperature, and water and ice content. Sentinel-3’s Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer measures energy radiating from Earth’s surface in nine spectral bands.