A screaming eagle is a tropical wave whose convective pattern has a strong resemblance to the head of an eagle. It is a tropical wave with active thunderstorm activity at its apex, which is sheared by either westerly winds aloft, or by strong easterly winds at the surface. The term was first seen in an Air Force satellite interpretation handbook written by Hank Brandli in 1976.
These systems are typically located within 25 degrees latitude of the equator. When seen within satellite imagery, they can be used to detect the presence of a tropical wave.[1] Rain showers and surface winds gusting to 25 knots (46 km/h) are associated with these waves. They move across the ocean at a rate of 13 knots (24 km/h). Strong thunderstorm activity can be associated with the features when located east of a tropical upper tropospheric trough.[2]