Hurricane Tracking Maps and Charts June 28, 2008
Posted by in : Technology , add a commentA Hurricane, also known as typhoon or tropical cyclone, is a weather system with sustained winds of at least 33 m/s. It develops an eye, which is an area of relative calm, with the lowest atmospheric pressure at the center of circulation. The eye in the hurricane is visible in satellite images as a small, circular, cloud free spot. An eye wall, an area of about 16-80 km wide, surrounds the eye where the strongest thunderstorms and winds circulate. The maximum sustained winds in a hurricane have been estimated at about 85-m/s. Hurricane tracking maps and charts are used as tools to track the path of approaching hurricanes, and to alert the public. It helps in announcing the arrival of a hurricane, as a ‘hurricane watch’ or ‘hurricane warning’, depending upon the amount of time left for it to hit a particular area. For instance, if the area will be hit in the next 24 to 36 hrs, the announcement is a hurricane watch, but if it is announced as less than 24 hrs, it ... (continue)