Hurricane Hunters Fly Over Ireland To Study Storms In Winter

NOAA's hurricane hunters took a trip far from their usual haunts in the tropics and sunny Florida.

The group's P-3 Orion aircraft nicknamed Kermit deployed to Ireland Jan. 16 to spend some time collecting data on winter storms over the Atlantic as part of a project called "Ocean Winds." They were there this week for Storm Éowyn, which brought a 114 mph wind gust that may end up to be Ireland's strongest wind ever recorded.

The hurricane hunters' research will be used to help boost satellite-based weather data used in forecasts and modeling.

“Ireland gives us a nice vantage point to reach some of the strongest winter storms over the North Atlantic,” Paul Chang, Ocean Winds science team, said in an article on NOAA's website.

(MORE: 'Bomb Cyclone' Storm Éowyn Hammers Ireland, United Kingdom With Damaging Winds, Heavy Rain)

Chang added that the project has also operated out of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

"These places also give us a good vantage point," he said. "The advantage of Ireland is that the storms are generally coming toward us versus us having to chase them, and the warmer airport conditions are easier for the P-3 support.”

This is the fourth year the team has worked in Ireland.

The hurricane hunters have also conducted winter operations in Alaska.

(MORE: Storm Éowyn Packs Winds Over 100 MPH)

NOAA's hurricane hunters are normally based in Lakeland, Florida, about 30 miles east of Tampa.

They're one of two such units in the U.S. The other is the U.S. Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, based in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.