Hurricane Fiona: Drone footage shows 'destructive' 50-foot-high waves of the storm. Read details

Hurricane Fiona is one of the biggest storms of the Atlantic basin season and with the help of a Saildrone flying through the center of the cyclone, we now have visual evidence of what happens within one of Mother Nature's most powerful forces.

On Thursday, approximately 300 miles southwest of Bermuda, a Saildrone captured video of waves surpassing 50 feet and winds gusting to over 100 mph. The oceans appeared more like mountains as the Saildrone ascended each wave and descended into a gap before riding another.

The situations are comparable to those shown in movies, but with the most advanced technology, individuals can control the gadget from thousands of miles away and still collect critical data.


Saildrone's inventor and CEO, Richard Jenkins, stated that the company is again displaying its capacity to provide crucial ocean data in the most extreme situations of weather.

Just before striking Puerto Rico, Hurricane Fiona grew from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane, causing huge damage and loss of lives.

He also stated that the data collected by the Saildrone vehicles would assist the scientific community in better comprehending fast intensification, providing residents of our coastal areas more time to prepare.

The floating weather stations, which are automated, are remote-controlled and constructed to endure Mother Nature's most severe storms. The drone in Fiona travels at around 9 mph through the storm, but when it hits the peak of a wave and surfs its way down, the drone's forward speed may exceed 40 mph. At least three more Saildrones caught the storm as it moved across the Caribbean and into the southwest Atlantic Ocean.

This incident is not the first time a Category 4 storm has been intercepted by a Saildrone.
FAQ

1. What is Saildrone?
   Saildrone, Inc. is a California-based firm that develops, manufactures and manages a fleet of uncrewed surface vehicles, or maritime drones, known as "sail drones."

1. Where Hurricane Fiona originated?
   Hurricane Fiona has originated in Atlantic ocean.