Last week, a F3 tornado tore through Paraná, part of a fast-moving line of storms in southern Brazil. Tomorrow.io's satellites captured what was happening: not just above the clouds, but inside them. While NOAA’s GOES-19 infrared imagery showed the storm’s towering cloud tops, a sign of severe weather, Tomorrow.io’s microwave sounders revealed what infrared alone couldn’t: the energy still pulsing within the storm. By seeing through thick ice clouds, our sensors exposed the storm’s internal structure, pinpointing where the most dangerous activity was still brewing. Together, the two views told a fuller story: confirming the atmosphere over southern Brazil was still unstable and capable of producing more severe weather. Infrared shows the surface. Microwave shows the soul. Together, they helped us understand what’s happening now and what could happen next. Learn more about our space mission: https://okt.to/JUhZGj
Excellent point, no one tool does the weather job alone. Microwave allows seeing through storms as well-described in the post, while Infrared Imaging give important information about Cloud Characterization properties (height, droplets, temperature) and Theater Weather Imaging (dust, fog, smoke). Infrared Sounding gives clear sky ahd "hole hunting" moisture and temperature vertical profiles, with generally higher resolution than microwave. Add in RO, Doppler Radar, Aerosol measurement and eventually Cloud Lidar, and one would have a fairly complete weather observation enterprise. The challenge then is to scale it for 1 hour revisit pole-to-pole. Our nation has a long way to go.