Performance of Minimet Wind Drifters in Hurricane Fabian

In September 2003 wind-measuring drifters were air-deployed in front of the projected path of Hurricane Fabian from an altitude between 300 m and 400 m. Eight drifters transmitted wind, air pressure and SST data through ARGOS and three drifters were within 35 km of the hurricane center. Measurements of the air pressure in the eye of the hurricane by dropsondes, suggested the air pressure at the eye was between 939 hPa and 944 hPa. The lowest pressure measured by a Minimet was 943 hPa at 33 km from the hurricane center. Fabian cooled the SST at its center from $28.9^{\circ}C$ to $26.8^{\circ}C$. After the passage of Fabian, SST warmed to between $27.5^{\circ}C$ and $28.5^{\circ}C$ in 7 days.