DATA MENU Hurricane tracks

Plots hurricane tracks from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) or Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) forecast/advisory bulletin (WTNT, WTPZ, WTPN, WTIO, and WTXS). This shows the current and forecast location of hurricanes, typhoons, and tropical storms. A track connecting each forecast point is created using a mathematical spline.

The source bulletin needs to be the NHC forecast/advisory or JTWC warning with coordinates and forecast positions. They can be automatically downloaded via the Internet > Retrieve panel. If there is any problem with a bulletin not plotting, it may be due to an error in the way the bulletin is written. Decoding these bulletins into machine-readable format is not always error-free.

Currently there is no support for bulletins from other global hurricane centers.

Sample of hurricane track bulletin

WTNT22 KNHC 060837
TCMAT2
TROPICAL DEPRESSION LARRY FORECAST/ADVISORY NUMBER 19
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL172003
0900Z MON OCT 06 2003
TROPICAL DEPRESSION CENTER LOCATED NEAR 17.3N 94.0W AT 06/0900Z
POSITION ACCURATE WITHIN 50 NM
PRESENT MOVEMENT TOWARD THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OR 200 DEGREES AT 3 KT
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE 1005 MB
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS 20 KT WITH GUSTS TO 25 KT...DISSIPATING
12 FT SEAS.. 0NE 0SE 0SW 100NW.
WINDS AND SEAS VARY GREATLY IN EACH QUADRANT. RADII IN NAUTICAL
MILES ARE THE LARGEST RADII EXPECTED ANYWHERE IN THAT QUADRANT.
REPEAT...CENTER LOCATED NEAR 17.3N 94.0W AT 06/0900Z
AT 06/0600Z CENTER WAS LOCATED NEAR 17.5N 93.9W
FORECAST VALID 06/1800Z 16.9N 94.1W...INLAND...DISSIPATING
MAX WIND 20 KT...GUSTS 25 KT.
FORECAST VALID 07/0600Z...DISSIPATED
REQUEST FOR 3 HOURLY SHIP REPORTS WITHIN 300 MILES OF 17.3N 94.0W
THIS IS THE LAST FORECAST/ADVISORY ISSUED BY THE
NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER ON LARRY UNLESS REGENERATION OCCURS.
FORECASTER PASCH