• NOAA Images from the Tropics (An Absolute Necessity During Hurricane Season!)
• Visit "A Hurricane Hunter's Photo Ablum-An inspiring photo journey!
• Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Intensity Scale
• Tropical Storms Worldwide (A really neat site--Has clickable world map for deatailed tracks)
• Computer Models
  • Oceanographic Models
    • Sea Surface Temperatures (SST)
      • East Pacific & West-Central Atlantic
        • Sea Surface Temp Anomalies
      • Global
        • Sea Surface Temp Anomalies
  • COLA MRF Computer Model of Tropical Weather
    • Tropical Storms Around the Globe!! (See the Latest Maps for Both Hemispheres)
    • Sea Surface Temperatures (All Times)
    • MRF Forecast of 200mb Winds and Divergence (All Times)
    • A Key to the MRF Tropical Maps
• Wave Height Forecasts
• UNISYS Hurricane Tropical Data (Terrific Site: Archives, Atl Ocn & Pacific Ocn)
• Tropical Prediction Center (National Hurricane Center)
• RADAR
• Tropical Cyclone Page (Univ of Wisconsin-Lots of Great Images & Movies)
• Atlantic Tropical Weather Center (An Old Favorite: Blake's Weather Page)
  • Extensive!! Weather Radar Sources
• Weather Net Tropical Weather
• Florida State's USA Radar Lists and Links
• Chris Landsea Frequently Asked Questions
  • Development of an Objective Scheme to Estimate Tropical Cyclone Intensity from Digital Geostationary Satellite Infrared Imagery
• Hurricanes & Other Storm Image Archive (NOAA-Excellent!!)
• Hurricane Tracking: Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico
• Jones College Hurricane Resource Center (Includes Atl, Pac, Indian oceans)
  • West Pacific Ocean (Satellites, mpegs, radar, advisories)
  • East Pacific Ocean (Satellites, mpegs, radar, advisories)
  • Indian Ocean (Satellites, mpegs, radar, advisories)
  • Atlantic Ocean (Satellites, mpegs, radar, advisories)
• Hurricane/Tropical Data (Archives from prev years and current info: UNISYS)
• Hurricane Research Division (NOAA)
• MILLENNIUM WEATHER TROPICAL PAGE ( A Fantastic Tropical Weather Site! by Gary Gray)
  • Look at their own Hurricane Model Predictions !
  • Tropical Cyclone Models
  • Recon Reports
  • Current Advisories
  • Coastal Radar Pictures
  • Satellite Products
• Charles Boley's Hurricanes & Tropical Storms (Charles has a very complete set of Resources on Hurricanes)

Reconnaissance Information

How to Decode Recon information: Compliments of the Hurricane Hunters

• VORTEX DATA MESSAGES
• SUPPLEMENTARY VORTEX DATA MESSAGES
• DROPSONDE OBSERVATIONS
• RECCO Observation Decoding

Actual Recon Observations

• Plan of the Day or Alternate Site
• Current Plane Reports or Alternate Site
• Current Vortex Messages or Alternate Site
• Current Supplementary Vortex Messages or Alternate Site
• Current Dropsonde Reports or Alternate Site
  • Recon Reports : How to Decode
• NOAA National Hurricane Center (RECON, Tropical Analyses)
• Archive of Recon Data
• UNCC Recon Data

Buoy Info, Etc. Gulf of Mexico/Atlantic/Pacific Marine Forecasts

• National Data Buoy Center
  • Mid-Atlantic Coast
• Gulf of Mexico Buoy Data (Real Time)
• Western Atlantic Buoy Data
• National Weather Service, Tallahassee, Florida (Terrific Interactive Site--Start here for the world offerings!)
  • Florida (Eastern Gulf and Atlantic)
  • Western Gulf of Mexico
• Offshore Weather Buoy Data
  • Hourly Updates of Buoy Data (Gulf of Mexico)
  • Western Atlantic Ocean
  • East Pacific Hourly Buoy Reports
  Get the Latest Coastal Forecasts from Ohio State.

Bahamas Marine Forecast

Satellite Imagery Previous RAMMT Satellite Discussions from NOAA

MPEG Satellite Movies (IR, VIS, & Water Vapor)

• US & Atlantic
• East Pacific & West Coast
• West Pacific
• Africa & Europe
• The World Montage (Sea surface temp, ice & cloud tops for the last week)
• CLICK HERE for real-time satellite movies automatically downloaded (I did this to increase download speeds on this page)

Satellite Single Frame Images (IR, Vis & Water Vapor)

• Univ of Wisconsin
• Ohio State
• UNISYS University
• Univ of Washington
• NOAA (GOES 8, GOES 10, GMS-5, Terrific for Hurricane Season!)
• Univ of Hawaii
• The Weather Channel
• Miscellaneous Satellite Sources

Computer Models NGM, ETA, Aviation, MRF

• Summary of the National Hurricane Center Tropical Cyclone Track and Intensity Guidance Models
• COLA MRF Computer Model of Tropical Weather (200 mb, 850 mb, SSTemps, etc)
  • Tropical Storms Around the Globe!! (See the Latest Maps for Both Hemispheres)
  • Sea Surface Temperatures (All Times)
  • MRF Forecast of 200mb Winds and Divergence (All Times)
  • A Key to the MRF Tropical Maps
• NORAPS (Navy Operational Regional Atmospheric Prediction System--Models Atmosphere to 48 hrs)
  • 48 Hour Surface Analysis
  • 500 mb Vorticity
• UNISYS's Hurricane Tropical Data
  • Aviation Sea Level Pressure Analysis
  • Aviation Sea Level Pressure 24 Hour Forecast
  • Aviation Sea Level Pressure 48 Hour Forecast
  • Aviation 500 mb Analysis
  • Aviation 500 mb 24 hour Forecast
  • Aviation 500 mb 48 hour Forecast
  • Aviation 300 mb Analysis
  • Aviation 300 mb 24 hour Forecast
  • Aviation 300 mb 48 hour Forecast
  • Aviation Shear Analysis
  • Aviation Shear 24 hour Forecast
  • Aviation Shear 48 hour Forecast

• Hurricane Movies (From NASA--The Best Collection of quicktime and mpeg movies I've Ever Seen!)
  • Hurricane Andrew (1992) Time Series Movie by Nathan Gasser, NASA Movie Collection
    • A CNN video of Hurricane Andrew as he crossed the southern peninusla of Florida in August, 1992.
  • Huricane Luis, 1995 (Stunning EYE-3.8 MB Quicktime)
    • Hurricane Luis (Wide View 2.7 MB MPEG)
    • Hurricane Luis (1995) (~ 12 MB of Spectacular Quicktime Movie--One whole day's worth!)
  • Hurricane Marilyn (Explosive Eyewall Thunderstorms 2.5 MB MPEG)
  • Hurricane Marilyn, 1995 (8.4 MB Quicktime:Worth the Wait)
  • The 1995 Atlantic season was absolutely spectacular! This 10 mb quicktime movie illustrates a parade of storms across the Atlantic! (From Univ of Wisconsin)
  • Hurricane Opal, a 1995 late season Gulf hurricane, struck the Florida Panhandle after weakening to category 3 status. Note the strong shear to her NW. Opal briefly flirted with category 5 status in the south-central Gulf. This next quicktime shows some wave action along the Florida coast. From CNN.
  • NOAA Detailed Report of Hurricane Danny, 1997
    • Beautiful Visible MPEG Movie of 1997 Hurricane Danny Here is an enhanced IR movie of Danny (From NOAA)
  • A Stunning Movie of Hurricane Guillermo, 1997. Made by Mark Sutton, morphing helps "fill in the data gaps" of the GOES 9 satellite. From the NASA Movie Catalog.
• 1996 Atlantic Tropical Storms (In-Depth Discussions) & Views from the NOAA Satellites
  • Hurricane Fran Vis Quicktime (From NOAA)
  • A CNN quicktime of the Wind and Rain from Hurricane Fran.
  • Hurricane Fran Enhanced IR Sep 5, 1996 as it approaches the Carolina coastline.
    • North Carolina Hit By Frantastic Storm! Excellent NOAA Report on the Damage of Fran
  • Hurricane Bertha was not as intense as Fran, but still had interesting thunderstorm development around the eye as it approached the Carolina coastline.
  • A CNN quicktime movie of the strong winds associated with Bertha's Landfall.
• SuperTyphoon Herb (1996), Enhanced IR Quicktime Movie. Watch the eye "wobble" towards Tawain!
• Typhoon Winnie, a west pacific storm, wobbles towards China in August, 1997. (From NOAA)
• Hurricane Eduoard VIS Quicktime Movie (From NOAA )
• NOAA / National Climatic Data Center Archive of Images/Movies of Hurricanes and Special Events.
  • Hurricane Erika IR MPG, Sep 8, 1997. Excellent eye development!
  • Here is a Compilation of Spectacular Hurricane Linda '97 images.
• Millenium Weather Models & Other Neat Stuff
• Colorado State University (Dr. Gray works Here-Need I Say More?)
• The effect of Hurricane Lili on San Salvador Island, 1996 (An excellent overview of Lili: Authored by John Garver, Geology Dept , Union College, New York)
  • False color map of the island showing damage locations
• NOAA Billion Dollar Weather Disasters

  1998 Hurricanes & Typhoons

  

• Ah! October is the month of beautiful seasonal change. Leaves change color and drop as the northern hemisphere prepares for winter. Occasionally, a tropical system develops that turns out to be very impressive despite seasonal changes which lurk just north of a system. Hurricane Mitch rapidly intensified on Saturday, Oct. 24 in the western Caribbean--pressures dropped about 27 millibars in 13 hours, 49 mb in 22 hours!
  • A Monterey water vapor movie illustrates the rapid organization on 10/24/98.
  • This CIMSS IR movie does the same thing--notice how we rapidly see a very ragged storm develop a well defined eye. Wow, explosive deepening! Note also the dynamic state of our northern hemisphere atmosphere.
  • Here is a Monterey NRL water vapor movie on 10/25/98 which illustrates the explosive deepening as shown on Sunday morning. Note the trough to Mitch's NE and the high pressure building over the Gulf of Mexico. Winds on 10/25/98 approached 125 kts at flight level as pressures dropped to 942 millibars (27.81 inches).The upper level synoptic situation was excellent on 10/25/98. What will the future hold?
  • At 1715Z, 10/25/98, recon reported a central pressure of 929 mb (27.43 inches), and a well defined and solid eyewall with an 18 nm diameter eye. Flight level winds were up 10 138 kts in the NW quad. This water vapor movie from Monterey NRL provides another sobering perspective.
  • At 1903Z Mitch's central pressure had dropped to remarkable 924 mb (27.29 inches). Maximum flight level winds in the NE eyewall were 155 kts. This visible image was taken at 1915z. Absolutely amazing!
  • Here Mitch is 2 1/2 hours later at 2145z, 10/25/98. Mitch's pressure had dropped from 973 mb on 10/24/98 at 0000z to 924 mb less than 24 hours later. Amazing! Here is a map of the upper level wind shear over and near Mitch. From CIMSS, 10/25/98 2100z.
  • Early in the am on 10/26/98, recon reported a central pressure of 923 mb. This quicktime water vapor movie illustrates the increase in organization and intensity. As Darth Vader would say "Impressive!" Here is an amazing early morning 10/26/98 1215z visible image. Here he was at 1445z, wow! The big question? Will Mitch reach category 5 status? Here is the latest 200 mb map and wind streamlines for 10/26/98. As you can see, there was a well established outflow over the storm.
  • Mitch reaches Cat 5 status! Recon reported, 1900z 10/26/98, a central pressure of 905 mb (26.72 inches), maximum flight level winds of 168 kts and a surface wind (500 feet above the ocean surface) of 173 kts. Here is a quicktime water vapor movie through 1915z from Monterrey NRL and a 1915z visible image from the University of Washington and a 2115z spectacular visible image from NRL.
• A Quicktime Water Vapor movie of Super Typhoon Zeb on Oct. 13, 1998. Zeb was approaching the Phillipines and expected to soon recurve towards the north. Category 5 Zeb had sustained winds of 155 kts with gusts to 190 kts. This visible image illustrates the CDO and well developed eye. This enhanced IR is even more impressive. All images are from CIMSS.
• A Quicktime Enhanced IR Movie~3.4 mb of Hurricane Georges and newly formed Tropical Storm Hermine (in the Gulf of Mexico) on Sep. 19, 1998. I have a smaller (~200k) enhanced version as well. Both are from CIMSS.
  • Check out this absolutely fantastic visible image of Georges on 9/19/98. He has a very well defined eye, and outflow pattern. Perhaps most interestingly, the ocean surface is visible as well! Wow!!! His estimated intensity was 948 mb and 110 kts!. From Monterey NRL.
  • An IR Movie of Georges as he intensifies on 9/19/98. Georges reached Cat 4 status later that day at 938mb and 130 kts. Recon reported a flight level wind of 166 kts! Note the developing eye!
  • A spectacular visible shot from NRL Monterey of Hurricane Georges eye traversing the eastern coast of Hispanola on 09/22/98. After having struck Puerto Rico, Georges reintensified while crossing the Mona Passage. Recon found winds of 117 kts and a pressure near 960 mb. Holy Cow!!
  • Wow!! An amazing quicktime movie (~3.5 mb) of Georges as he approached and moved away from the Florida Keys on 09/25/98. From GOES Hot Stuff!
  • A CNN quicktime movie of Post-landfall Flooding from Georges' Torrential Rains along the Gulf coast.
• Hurricane Bonnie (Quicktime mov--8/25/98) approaches N Carolina From GOES Hot Stuff See NASA's Hurricane Bonnie Page
• Great Images & Hurricane Archives: (Univ of Wisconsin)
  • Hurricane Howard, 08/26/98, with an absolutely "huge" eye, makes his way across the east pacific.
• A MPG water vapor movie (388 K) of Stalled, Category 3 Hurricane Bonnie on 08/23/98, 10:00am. Note the upper level trough just to her north and the ridge to her west. Where will she go? From NRL Monterey Satellite Meteorology Note the cooler water, upwelled to the surface, in Bonnie's wake! From Univ of Miami-RSMAS

1999 Hurricanes & Typhoons

• Cyclone Vance, a Category 5 storm, approaches the NW Australian coast in late March. There has never been a category 5 storm in Australia's recorded history.

Predictive Forecasting Tools, Wind Shear Maps & Sea Surface Temperatures

• Hurricane Genesis Predictive Tool (Interesting Forecasting Maps)
• Wind Shear Map (West Pacific Ocean: Look for <10 m/sec Impt For Hurricane Development)
• Wind Shear Map (Atlantic Ocean: Look for <10 m/sec)
• Sea Surface Temperatures

Dr. Gray's Famous Long-Range Hurricane Forecasting Predictions

• Colorado State, Dr. Chris Landsea: Hurricane Frequently Asked Questions