As Tropical Storm Alex moved through the Gulf of Mexico on June 5, 2022, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite provided forecasters with rainfall data. TRMM was a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA that operated from 1997 to 2015.

TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) and the Precipitation Radar (PR) provided important information about the structure and intensity of Alex's rainfall. The TMI measures microwave radiation emitted by Earth's surface, which can be used to estimate rainfall rates. The PR sends out pulses of microwave energy and measures the amount of time it takes for the pulses to return to the satellite, which can be used to estimate rainfall rates and the size of raindrops.

The TRMM data showed that Alex had areas of heavy rainfall, with rainfall rates exceeding 1 inch per hour (25 millimeters per hour). The heaviest rainfall was located in the center of the storm, with lesser amounts of rainfall occurring in the outer bands of the storm.

TRMM data were also used to estimate the total amount of rain that fell over the Gulf of Mexico from Alex. The estimated total rainfall was about 10 inches (25 centimeters).

The TRMM data provided forecasters with valuable information about Alex's rainfall patterns and helped them to issue accurate warnings for people in the path of the storm.

References:

* [Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM)](https://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/)

* [TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI)](https://www.ghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/tmi.html)

* [Precipitation Radar (PR)](https://www.remss.com/missions/trmm/pr/)

* [National Hurricane Center (NHC)](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/)