Astronaut zooms in on ‘Category 5’ Hurricane Dorian from space station
See the monster storm from orbit
This animation of photos by European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano zooms in on the eye of Hurricane Dorian, a Category 5 storm, as seen from the International Space Station on 1 September 2019. Image credit: Luca Parmitano/ESA via Twitter
Hurricane Dorian is terrifying even from the International Space Station, where European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano captured photographs of the Category 5 storm.
“Zoom into tropical storm Dorian,” Parmitano wrote on Twitter on 1 September 2019 while sharing the photos from the station, where he serves as part of the Expedition 60 crew.
The hurricane is currently stalled over Grand Bahama Island in the northern Bahamas, where meteorologists predict it will remain for much of 2 September. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Hurricane Center (NHC) is currently forecasting that the storm will hug the east coast of the United States.
If this prediction proves correct, Hurricane Dorian will travel northward along Florida’s coast through 4 September. Meteorologists at NHC are currently forecasting the storm to reach Georgia early 5 September 2019 and then continue up the Atlantic coast throughout the week.
Right now, NHC is calling Dorian “extremely dangerous” on account of both the powerful winds that have classified it as a Category 5 storm and the heavy rainfall and storm surges the hurricane is causing.
Grand Bahama Island could see storm surges between 5.5 to seven metres (18 and 23 feet) higher than typical tide levels, according to the NHC forecast.
Current rainfall predictions suggest Dorian could drop five to 10 centimetres (two to four inches) of rain along the Florida coast and 12.5 to 25 centimetres (5 to 10 inches) along the Carolinas.
If you live along Hurricane Dorian’s path, visit the NHC and your local National Weather Service office for the latest forecasts.
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