US Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters Intercept Tropical Storm Lala

Three Lockheed Martin WC-130J Super Hercules aircraft from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, known as the Hurricane Hunters, flew into Tropical Storm Lala in the Central Pacific. The aircraft, with call signs TEAL81, TEAL82, and TEAL83, departed from Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, and intercepted the storm over four days. During this time, the crews released dropsondes to measure wind speed, pressure, temperature, and humidity from flight altitude to the ocean surface. This was the squadron's third Hawaii deployment of 2026. The aircraft flew repeated passes through Lala at 10,000 feet, gathering crucial data to aid in storm forecasting and tracking. The Hurricane Hunters are the only Department of Defense organization still flying into tropical storms and hurricanes.