In the eye of the storm

US pilots fly through hurricane “Beryl” here

(Bild: kameraOne (Screenshot))

They do what normal pilots avoid as much as possible: U.S. Air Force "hurricane hunters" have flown a special aircraft right into the eye of the severe hurricane "Beryl", which caused devastation in the south-east of the Caribbean and is heading for Jamaica - and captured spectacular footage (video above).

The video was taken by the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron of the U.S. Air Force Reserve, stationed at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, and known as the "Hurricane Hunters". The squadron flies special four-engine turboprop WC-130J Super Hercules aircraft equipped with meteorological sensors.

Aircraft in the air for up to 18 hours
These include so-called drop probes, instruments that are dropped directly in the eye of the hurricane to collect data such as wind speed, air pressure conditions and temperature. The special aircraft can stay in the air for almost 18 hours, enabling their crews to collect weather data over longer periods of time and transmit it to ground stations.

(Bild: kameraOne (Screenshot))

Hurricane heads for Jamaica
"Beryl" had developed from a tropical storm to a category 4 hurricane - the first of the Atlantic hurricane season that began in early June - in less than 24 hours at the weekend. On Friday, the hurricane was still rotating at up to 250 kilometers per hour, but then weakened from category five to category four over the Atlantic at the weekend.

"Beryl" is heading towards Jamaica and continues to threaten several Caribbean islands, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) based in Miami, Florida. Dangerous currents and heavy surf are expected in the coming days on the Lesser Antilles island chain, in Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and along the US east coast, it said. The hurricane has already caused devastation in the south-east of the Caribbean in recent days - there have also been some fatalities.

Hurricane "Beryl" photographed from the International Space Station ISS.

(Bild: AP/NASA)

The hurricane season begins in the Pacific on May 15 and in the Atlantic on June 1 and ends in both regions on November 30. Tropical cyclones form over warm ocean waters. Increasing global warming increases the likelihood of strong storms.