Scientists send robot boats into the eye of hurricanes

A fleet of modified Saildrones is sending back video and data to help understand extreme weather

Sending a small sailing boat to explore the interior of a hurricane may seem like a bad idea, but that is exactly what meteorologists from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration did in October. There was no danger though because the seven-metre vessel was crewless.

Saildrones are robot vessels that can stay at sea indefinitely with a combination of wind and solar power. Some, like Saildrone Explorer SD 1045, have been modified to handle 140mph winds and giant waves.