Tropical Storm Arthur, the first named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, brought high winds and heavy rain to the U.S. Gulf Coast in mid-June.
NASA’sTerrasatellite captured this natural-color image at 10:30 a.m. Central Time on June 17.
The second image depicts infrared signals known as brightness temperature, which help distinguish cooler cloud tops from the warmer surface below.
Around the time these images were acquired, the system had just recently been designated a tropical storm, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Though Arthur stayed below hurricane strength, it still delivered strong winds to parts of the Gulf Coast as it tracked northeast.
The storm had maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour around the time these images were captured.
Tropical-storm-force winds extended 175 miles from the storm’s center, theNHC reported.
Measurements at Galveston, Texas, for instance, showed a gust of 48 miles per hour.
The storm also produced heavy rainfall that the National Weather Service warnedcould lead to life-threatening flash flooding.
Estimates fromIMERG, a product of theGPM mission, showedhigh rainfall ratesover Gulf waters and extending inland on June 17.
As Arthur weakened and became less organized, it continued to bring abundant moisture to central Gulf Coast states on June 18.
The National Weather Service reported rainfall rates of 3 inches per hour in southeastern Louisiana.
Forecasts indicated that storm-total rainfall amounts could exceed 12 inches in areas, with some locations seeing totals approaching 20 inches.
NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using MODIS data from NASAEOSDIS LANCEandGIBS/Worldview. Story by Kathryn Hansen.
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National Hurricane CenterTropical Storm ARTHUR Advisory Archive. Accessed June 18, 2026.
National Public RadioTropical Storm Arthur is the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. Accessed June 18, 2026.
National Weather Service, Office of Water PredictionExperimental: Tropical Flood Hazard Outlook Product Archive. Accessed June 18, 2026.
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