Auto-updated NOAA Tropical Cyclone activity map

I'm sure a link to this has been posted many times before, if for no other reason than I myself just referenced it in another thread just two days ago. But as I do not see a thread as such dedicated to the automatic update of current cyclonic activity in the Atlantic/Caribbean/Gulf, and as we are in the middle of another unprecedented hurricane season*, it seems rather relevant to have a quick-look link to such information in this forum.

I guess you could say all activities tropical are topical right now...

The following image should be automatically updated when you launched the link to this thread:







*While the gross number of hurricanes so far in 2004-2005 does appear to be consistent with historical periods of recorded activity, there are several other measurements by which 2004-2005 represents unforeseen levels of activity, intensity, and destruction.

For instance, this current period is often compared to the decade of incerased activity from 1951-1960, during that entire deacde there were only three L4 hurricanes total, there have already been three L4 hurricanes within the last 13 months.

And while two of the five most intense Atlantic hurricanes (as measured by central pressure in mb) ever recorded occurred within 3 1/2 weeks of each other, none of the five most intense hurricanes ever recorded occurred between 1951-1960.

Source data from NOAA

Edit: for link to source material

[edit on 1-10-2005 by sdrumrunner]