Explore historical hurricane tracks.
Follow tropical cyclones around the world, choose a date, and replay their journeys. A global archive from 1950 onward.
Explore the storm archive
Choose a year, inspect a track, and replay its history.
Read about the archive and download records →HOW TO USE THE MAP
Follow a storm.
Find your perspective.
Choose a date
Move between years and dates to discover the storms recorded at that point in time. All dates are shown in UTC.
Read the track
Select a storm on the map or in the explorer. Follow its path, category, wind speed, and available pressure measurements.
Watch it unfold
Play the timeline to see its journey. Open the full map for more space, or download the year’s records to explore further.
UNDERSTANDING THE MAP
More than a line
across the ocean.
The track locates a storm’s center through time. Its color records intensity, while the profile puts the available measurements in context.
Understand the categoriesColor tells you about wind
Our global legend uses US-agency one-minute categories. A storm’s color can change along its track as its recorded intensity changes.
Shading shows reported wind extent
Where available, shaded quadrants show 34-knot wind radii. They are not cloud outlines or forecast cones. Missing observations stay missing.
Markers show the storm’s center
Center dots have a fixed size. Use the profile to inspect reported measurements; the dot is not a measure of a storm’s size.
FIELD NOTES
Understand what
you’re looking at.
Hurricane categories explained
Understand Categories 1–5, sustained wind speeds, major hurricanes, and what the track colors on Hurricanes Mapped mean.
Read the guide →02 Storm fundamentalsHurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones
Discover how hurricane, typhoon, and tropical cyclone names vary by ocean basin, and explore their tracks on one global map.
Read the guide →03 Using the mapHow to read hurricane tracks
Learn to replay historical hurricane paths, read intensity colors and wind extent, and distinguish archive tracks from forecast cones.
Read the guide →GROUNDED IN THE RECORD
Open data.
Visible limitations.
The map draws on NOAA’s IBTrACS archive. Tracking methods have changed across decades, recent records can be revised, and not every point includes wind or size measurements.
Explore the sources & methodology- Unique archived systems
- 8,307 Includes weaker and unclassified systems
- Recorded storm-time points
- 486,646 Source: NOAA IBTrACS v04r01
- Latest observation
- 2026-09-10 00:00 UTC Archive endpoint, not a live forecast
BEFORE YOU DIVE IN
Frequently asked questions
What years does the map cover?
The storm records start in 1950. The latest recorded observation is 2026-09-10 00:00 UTC. The endpoint comes from the published NOAA archive, not the current clock.
Is this a live hurricane tracker?
This is an archive of recorded tracks, not a live warning or forecast system. Some matched storms have separate official NHC/CPHC forecast links. Use your local meteorological service for current warnings.
Does the map include typhoons and cyclones?
Yes. It includes global tropical cyclone records, as well as weaker and unclassified tracked systems. The total archive count is not a count of hurricane-strength storms.
How do I replay a hurricane’s path?
Choose a year, open the storm explorer, and select a storm from the archive. Use its replay control or the timeline to follow its recorded path and intensity.
Why do some storms have missing wind or size data?
The source does not contain every measurement for every point. Missing wind, pressure, or quadrant-radius observations remain unknown; we do not fill them with invented values.
Can this map show how climate change affects hurricanes?
The climate page lets you explore recorded counts and intensity with their limitations. Archive trends alone cannot establish climate attribution; the page also links to research assessments that address that question.