Hurricanes/Cyclones

National Hurricane Center Historical Database

Context: The National Hurricane Center (NHC) performs detailed post-storm analysis of each tropical cyclone in the Atlantic basin, which includes the North Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea, as well as the North Pacific Ocean. This comprehensive examination utilizes all available observations to officially assess the cyclone's history, including data not available in real-time. The NHC is also committed to regularly updating the historical record as new analyses are reviewed.

Content: The NHC releases the tropical cyclone historical data in a database known as HURDAT (HURricane DATabase). This repository consists of the Atlantic HURDAT2 and the NE/NC Pacific HURDAT2 databases. They provide six-hourly updates on various aspects of all known tropical and subtropical cyclones, including their location, maximum winds, and central pressure. Since 2004, the database also includes the size of these cyclones.

Dataset Information

• Data Type: Gridded, historical database
• Coverage: Atlantic basin, North Pacific Ocean
• Temporal Resolution: Six-hourly intervals
• Variables:
  • Location (Latitude, Longitude)
  • Maximum Winds (knots)
  • Central Pressure (millibars)
  • Size parameters (nautical miles, post-2004)
• File Format: CSV, PDF
• Update Frequency: Post-storm analysis, with regular updates

Sample Entry

Below is an example of how data is recorded in the HURDAT database:

ID	Name	Date	Time	Event	Status	Latitude	Longitude	Maximum Wind	Minimum Pressure	Size Parameters
ExampleID	CycloneName	YYYY-MM-DD	HHMM	EventDesc	StatusDesc	XX.XN/XX.XW	XXX knots	XXX mb	SizeDesc

Usage

Researchers, meteorologists, and the public can utilize the HURDAT databases for various purposes, such as climatological studies, risk assessment, and educational projects.

Visualization

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Accessing the Data

The HURDAT databases can be accessed through the following links:

• [Link to Atlantic HURDAT2 database]
• [Link to NE/NC Pacific HURDAT2 database]

Citation

Please cite the use of the NHC's HURDAT database as follows: [NHC's official citation with a link to their page]

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Note: The sample entry provided is a generic template. Replace it with actual data entries from the HURDAT databases, and include live links to the databases and official citation instructions from the NHC.