How to use the hurricane tracker
Each orange line is the recent track of an active tropical storm, and the red dot is its latest reported position. Tap a dot to see the storm name, time of the last update and wind speed (in knots, "kts") when available. The background is yesterday’s true-colour satellite image from NASA, so you can often see the storm’s spiral of clouds.
Hurricane, typhoon or cyclone?
They are the same kind of storm with different names by region. In the Atlantic and northeast Pacific, a tropical cyclone with winds of at least 64 knots (119 km/h) is a hurricane. In the northwest Pacific it is a typhoon, and in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific it is a cyclone. Weaker systems are called tropical depressions (below 34 kts) or tropical storms (34–63 kts), and storms get a name once they reach tropical-storm strength.
The Saffir-Simpson scale
| Category | Wind (km/h) | Typical damage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 119–153 | Some damage to roofs, trees and power lines |
| 2 | 154–177 | Extensive damage |
| 3 | 178–208 | Devastating, major hurricane |
| 4 | 209–251 | Catastrophic |
| 5 | 252+ | Catastrophic, area may be uninhabitable for weeks |
Official forecasts
This page shows recent positions, not forecasts. For forecast cones, watches and warnings, always use the official agency for your region: the US National Hurricane Center for the Atlantic and eastern Pacific, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center or Japan Meteorological Agency for the western Pacific, and the India Meteorological Department for the north Indian Ocean.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the storm data come from?
From NASA’s EONET natural events tracker, which collects storm positions from official warning centres such as NOAA.
Does this show the forecast cone?
No. It shows recent positions only. Use the National Hurricane Center or your national weather service for forecasts.
When is hurricane season?
In the Atlantic, June 1 to November 30. The northwest Pacific can have typhoons in any month.
More live Earth & Space tools
Data and credits: Storm tracks: NASA EONET (public domain), sourced from official warning centres. Satellite imagery: NASA GIBS VIIRS (public domain). Labels © OpenStreetMap contributors. Leaflet. See all Live Earth & Space tools and our credits page.