Science On a Sphere
Tropical Cyclones - Real-time
Details
Permalink to Details- Added to the Catalog
- Available for
- SOS
- Categories
- Air: Tropical Cyclones, Weather
- People: Current Events
- Keywords
- Atmosphere
- Clouds
- Hurricanes
- IR Satellite
- Satellites
- Tropical Cyclones
- Weather
Description
Permalink to DescriptionExplore current global tropical cyclone activity with this real-time dataset. These tracks illustrate the path of each storm while highlighting fluctuations in wind speed and cyclone intensity. The color-coded legend categorizes storms—ranging from tropical depressions and tropical storms to Category 1–5 hurricanes—based on wind speed in knots (where 1 knot is approximately 1.15 mph).
The International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) project provides the most comprehensive global collection of tropical cyclone data available. By merging recent and historical data from multiple agencies into a unified, publicly available dataset, IBTrACS facilitates better inter-agency comparisons. This project is a collaborative effort involving all World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres, along with various global organizations and researchers.
The animated track frames in this dataset are generated from IBTrACS storm-track data and overlaid on the SOS Clouds - Real-time dataset.
Note on data latency:
Permalink to Note on data latency:While the script for this dataset runs four times daily to check for updates, the visualization relies on the availability of data in the IBTrACS CSV file. IBTrACS data is released in batches rather than minute-by-minute live updates. This means there may be a gap of several days between the current date and the latest visible storm track.
Content Creation Details
Permalink to Content Creation DetailsThe IBTrACS data is sourced from a CSV file produced by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). It includes critical parameters for each recorded point, including storm name, timestamp, latitude, longitude, and wind speed. For the Atlantic and the Eastern/Central North Pacific (Mexico to the International Date Line), IBTrACS typically utilizes the HURDAT2 dataset produced by the NOAA National Hurricane Center. Python was used to process and visualize these tracks. This dataset was originally developed by NOAA Hollings Scholar summer intern, Jason Hu.
Data Details
Permalink to Data Details- Time frame: Real-time
- Frequency: 1 frame every 10 minutes
- Range: 30 days
- Variable:
- Wind Speed (knots)
- Tropical Storm category
Notable Features
Permalink to Notable Features- This dataset provides global coverage of tropical cyclone tracks, synthesizing weather models and observations from various international meteorological agencies.
- Because data is aggregated from different World Meteorological Organization (WMO) agencies, users may notice slight variations or uncertainties in track consistency between different regions.
- Color-Coded Intensity: Point out the color transitions along a single track; these represent the storm's lifecycle as it strengthens from a tropical depression (cooler colors) to a major hurricane (warmer colors/reds).
- Geographic "Dead Zones": Notice that cyclones rarely form near the Equator (due to the lack of the Coriolis effect) and are absent from the South Atlantic and South Eastern Pacific, where cooler waters and wind shear inhibit development.
- Real-Time Context: Because this is overlaid on real-time cloud data, docents can point out how the "best-track" lines align with the actual rotating cloud masses visible in the satellite imagery.