A Multi-Radar, Multi-Platform Investigation of the Inner Core of Hurricane Matthew (2016)

A synthesis of radar measurements from multiple instruments and platforms during a concentric eyewall cycle in Hurricane Matthew (2016) on October 7 is presented. The focus is on the NASA High Altitude Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (HIWRAP) measurements from the NASA Global Hawk unmanned aircraft during the NOAA Sensing Hazards with Operational Unmanned Technology (SHOUT) field experiment. Supporting data from ground based radar, NOAA P3 radar and flight level winds help to understand the HIWRAP measurements and identify key structural changes in the system as the storm approached land. The science focus is on the evolution of the asymmetric structure of the inner core and linking the observations with theory and numerical simulations.