Real-time hurricane tracking available online

A compilation of hurricane data, including what some currently consider the most accurate real-time predictions of hurricanes, is available at hfip.psu.edu/realtime/AL2011/forecast_track.html.

Fuqing Zhang, professor of meteorology and statistics and E. Willard & Ruby S. Miller Faculty Fellow, has developed a computer model that can predict the path and strength of hurricane in real time.

The main web page allows you to choose the hurricane you wish to investigate. Currently there are two storms on the map, Irene and tropical depression 10. The bottom right-hand image shows a map of the Atlantic with the hurricane positions indicated. The top left-hand image indicates a variety of computer and human predictions for the hurricane's path. A4PS is the Penn State model using airborne Doppler radar. This trackonly appears during the six hours after a flight and because at most, flights occur only every 12 hours, it is not always visible. If it does not appear,choose the back six hours button.

A4NR is the Penn State model without the flown Doppler radar. HWRF and GRDL are National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration predictions, and OFCL is the National Weather services combined human and model predictions.

The upper right and lower left images indicate predicted wind speeds. The time scale begins at midnight Greenwich Mean Time or 7 p.m. EDT. The key color coding is the same as in the tracking image.

Choosing "go to Field Forecast page" will show side-by-side A4NR and NOAA images of the wind directions, intensity and other variables.