Watching the Tropics

Watching the Tropics is updated at 2AM, 5AM, 8AM, 11AM, 2PM, 5PM, 8PM, and 11PM daily
Last updated at 11/20/2024 5:03:21 PM, accessed on 11/20/2024 5:53:58 PM
Atlantic Hurricane Basin Tracking Updates
Watching the Tropics tracks storms destined to the United States East coast, the Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico out of the Atlantic hurricane basin.
Archive Disclaimers NHC Advisories Definitions
7 Day Tropical Weather Outlook
7 Day Tropical Weather Outlook
2 Day Tropical Weather Outlook
2 Day Tropical Weather Outlook
Florida Radar
Florida Radar
GOES 16
Sandwich Composite
Sandwich Composite
Today's Tornado Risk
Today's Tornado Risk
8-14 Day Temperature Outlook
8-14 Day Temperature Outlook
8-14 Day Precipitation Outlook
8-14 Day Precipitation Outlook
Global Tropics Hazard Outlook
Global Tropics Hazard Outlook

Current Power Outages

Last updated 11/20/2024 5:03:34 PM
Alabama - 3,965 customers
Georgia - 11,291 customers
Florida - 3,083 customers
North Carolina - 1,168 customers
South Carolina - 383 customers

2024 Hurricane Prediction

*as of 6/12/2024
  • NOAA predicts above-normal 2024 Atlantic hurricane season
  • 17-25 named storms
  • 8-13 hurricanes
  • 4-7 major hurricanes (category 3 and higher)
  • The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30

2024 Storm Names

Alberto- TS Beryl - Cat 5 Chris- TS Debby - Cat 1 Ernesto - Cat 2 Francine - Cat 2 Gordon- TS Helene - Cat 4 Isaac - Cat 2 Joyce- TS Kirk - Cat 4 Leslie - Cat 2 Milton - Cat 5 Nadine- TS Oscar Patty Rafael Sara Tony Valeria William

Key: Active Past Future

*Press/click the storm name to view additional details

2023 Hurricane Summary

  • 20 named storms
  • 7 hurricanes
  • 3 major hurricanes (Cat. 3+)
  • Total damage: >$4.19 billion
Notable Hurricanes
  • Hurricane Lee: One of the strongest storms of the season, it rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane, threatening parts of the Caribbean and the U.S. East Coast.
  • Hurricane Idalia: Another major hurricane, making landfall in Florida as a Category 3 storm, causing widespread damage and significant storm surges.
  • Hurricane Tammy: A later-season storm that affected the eastern Caribbean islands.

Hurricane Statistics

Named
Hurricanes
Major
Average
14.4
7.2
3.2
High
30
15
7
Low
4
2
0

Most Active Hurricane Season

2020 - 30 named storms, 14 hurricanes

Costliest Hurricanes

Hurricane Katrina (2005) - $125 billion

Harvey (2017) - $125 billion

Strongest Hurricanes (Based on Wind Speed)

Hurricane Patricia (2015) - 215 mph (345 km/h)

Hurricane Allen (1980) - 190 mph (305 km/h)

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale in MPH

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 rating system that classifies hurricanes based on their sustained wind speeds and the potential damage they can cause. It helps communicate the intensity of hurricanes and the likely impacts on structures and environments. The scale does not account for factors like storm surge or rainfall, focusing only on wind speeds.

About Watching the Tropics

Watching the Tropics was originally built as a personal storm tracker with only the most important charts for the Atlantic hurricane basin. Numerous sites are available for tracking hurricanes, but Watching the Tropics minimizes extra "noise" and shows only what you need.

Designed in Florida by

Dillaman Research DillaDev.com

What does Watching the Tropics mean?

"Watching the tropics" refers to monitoring tropical weather systems, such as tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes, in regions close to the equator. Meteorologists and weather enthusiasts often use this phrase during hurricane season to indicate that they're keeping an eye on developing weather systems that could potentially strengthen and impact areas like the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic Ocean.

Websites, news outlets, or weather services also use "Tropics Watch" to keep the public informed about the latest developments in the tropics, especially during peak hurricane season.

What is an "invest" in the context of hurricanes?

An "invest" refers to an area of disturbed weather that meteorologists are investigating for potential tropical development. The term "invest" is short for "investigation area."

When an area is designated as an invest, it is given a number (between 90 and 99) followed by the letter "L" for systems in the North Atlantic or "E" for systems in the Eastern Pacific. For example, "Invest 91L" would refer to the 91st area of interest in the Atlantic basin for that season.

The designation of an invest allows meteorologists to focus their resources on a specific area, utilize specialized forecasting models, and issue updates as needed.

Help us keep Watching the Tropics running!

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  • Help us add new features and enhance tracking tools for even better storm preparedness.
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  • Donations directly support the upkeep and growth of this site.