All the sites you need to obsessively watch the tropics.</p><p>Many people who live in the Keys simply enjoy the abundant sun and warm breezes and never think much about the weather. </p><p>But anyone who's been here long enough knows it pays to keep an eye on the tropics during the summer.</p><p>Summer is a glorious time. Growth is lush. Days are long, the water's warm. Which means the nearby oceans — oceans that produce our usually glorious weather — turn into steaming bowls of tropical soup. </p><p>I beg the pardon of those who hate the term "hurricane season," but summer = warm water and lots of sun, which = hurricane season. </p><p>Officially, the hurricane (or tropical cyclone) season is June 1 to Dec. 1. It's the most likely time of year for tropical disturbances to turn into tropical depressions and possibly tropical storms, and possibly hurricanes. And possibly big, intense hurricanes.</p><p>The websites listed below are more than anyone needs to stay well-informed. This is deep intell for people who want to look obsessively at the tropics, who are fascinated by the power of tropical weather, who want to figure it out and see the charts and maps and satellite images that visualize it.</p><p>This list includes sites of government agencies and the military, as well as university, commercial, personal and nonprofit sites. Use only official government sites for making what could be life-or-death decisions. <b>The National Hurricane Center site is the official source for hurricane forecasts and warnings: </b> <A HREF="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/">NHC home page.</A> </p><p>For local government, see the <a href="http://www.keysnet.com/links/story/4861.html">Local info page</a>.</p><p>For more hurricane information, see the <a href="http://www.keysnet.com/weather/hurricanes/">Hurricane section</a>.</p><p><h4>Hurricane forecasting, models and information</h4></p><p><DL></p><p>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.atwc.org/" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212019209" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Atlantic
Tropical Weather Center</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/tropic/" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212019209" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">CIMSS
Tropical Cyclones</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.ecmwf.int/" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212019209" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">ECMWF
- European weather model</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://moe.met.fsu.edu/tcgengifs/" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212019209" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Experimental
forecast Tropical Cyclone Genesis Potential Fields- FSU site for weather models</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://tcweb.fnmoc.navy.mil/tc-bin/tc_home.cgi" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212019209" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">FNMOC
Satellite Data Tropical Cyclone Homepage</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/tropic/real-time/atlantic/winds/wg8sht.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212019209" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">CIMSS
24-Hour Shear Tendency Analysis</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.hurricanetrack.com/Java2/seatemps.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212019209" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">HurricaneTrack.com
Interactive Tracking Map</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212019209" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Hydrometeorological
Prediction Center (HPC) Home</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.met-office.gov.uk/sec2/sec2cyclone/sec2cyclone.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212019209" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">UK
Met Office - Tropical cyclones</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/tc_pages/tc_home.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212019209" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Navy
hurricanes, typhoons, satellite images, forecasts, tracks</A>
<DT><A HREF="https://www.fnmoc.navy.mil/mywxmap/index.jsp" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212019209" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Navy
model plotter</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://html.nbc6.net/sh/idi/weather/hurricanes/hurricanetracker.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212019209" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">NBC6
Hurricane Tracker</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/nwprod/analysis/" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212019209" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">NCEP-Forecast
models</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/tc_pages/tc_home.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212019209" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">NRL
Cyclone tracks-satellites</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://weather.cod.edu/forecast/" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212019209" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Numerical
Models Nexlab, College of DuPage</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://euler.atmos.colostate.edu/~vigh/guidance/" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212019209" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Operational
Model Guidance Products for Atlantic Tropical Cyclones</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://storm2k.org/" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212019209" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Storm2k
- Excellent weather information and discussion site</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/data_sub/wind.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212019209" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">NOAA
Surface Wind Analysis</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://met.psu.edu/trop-cgi/ukmettc2.cgi?time=2003091012&field=Sea+Level+Pressure&hour=Animation" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212019209" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">UKMET
Sea Level Pressure - model output</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.weatherunderground.com/tropical/tracking/at200313_model.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212019209" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Weather
Underground Tropical Storm Computer Model Hurricane Forecasts</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/tropic/real-time/atlantic/winds/wg8dlm1.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212019209" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Western
North Atlantic Layer-Mean Wind Analyses</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.wrel.com/hurricane.htm" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212019209" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">WREL
Online! HurricaneCenter for VA-Mid Atlantic</A>
</DL>
</p><p></p><p><h4>Radar and satellite sites</h4></p><p><DL><DT><A HREF="http://hadar.cira.colostate.edu/ramsdis/online/trop_ge_vis_float2_0.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018408" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Central
America - 4 km Visible - RAMSDIS</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://oiswww.eumetsat.org/IDDS-cgi/listImages.pl?m=bnw,a=0,sa=8,pr=BNW,f=1,c=IR_108,se=0,n=6,d=1,v=400,pp=0,t=200605161500#controls" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018408" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">EUMETSAT
- Meteosat Satellite Images, Products and Derived Imagery</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://weather.msfc.nasa.gov/GOES/goeseasthurrir.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018408" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Interactive
Weather Satellite Imagery Viewers from NASA Earth Science Office</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/radar/displayRad.php?icao=KBYX&prod=bref1&bkgr=black&endDate=20060610&endTime=-1&duration=0" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018408" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Miami
Nextad radar loop — UCAR</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://weather.cod.edu/cgi-bin/radarloop.pl?station=AMX&product=BREF1&loopdir=brefs" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018408" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Miami
Nexrad radar </A><a href="http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/radar/displayRad.php?icao=KBYX&prod=bref1&bkgr=black&endDate=20060610&endTime=-1&duration=0" add_date="1203864581" last_visit="1212018408" last_modified="1203864581">—</a><A HREF="http://weather.cod.edu/cgi-bin/radarloop.pl?station=AMX&product=BREF1&loopdir=brefs" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018408" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">
Dupage</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.ghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/GOES/goeseastconus.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018408" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">NASA
GOES 12-East visible satellite</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://weather.msfc.nasa.gov/GOES/goeseasthurr.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018408" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">NASA
GOES hurricane sector viewer</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.nlmoc.navy.mil/home1.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018408" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Navy
Lan Satellite viewer</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/radar/" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018408" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Nexrad
- US RAP page</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.wunderground.com/radar/radblast.asp?ID=AMX" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018408" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Miami
Nexrad - Weather Underground</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/sat_products.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018408" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">NRL
Satellite Products</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://weather.gov/sat_loop24.php" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018408" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">NWS
- US Radar-Forecast - Home</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.srh.noaa.gov/radar/images/DS.p37cr/SI.kamx/latest.gif" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018408" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">NWS
Miami Nexrad</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.atmos.washington.edu/~ovens/loops/" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018408" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Satellite
- UW Loops selector</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www-das.uwyo.edu/~geerts/cwx/www/satellite.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018408" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Satellite
links page</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/sat-bin/tropics.cgi" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018408" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">NRL
Tropical Images</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www1.cira.colostate.edu/ramm/rmsdsol/TROPICAL.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018408" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Tropical
RAMSDIS ONLINE</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/trop-atl.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018408" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Tropical
Satellite Imagery - NOAA</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.cira.colostate.edu/ramm/rmsdsol/main.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018408" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">US
East - West - RAMSDIS</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://hadar.cira.colostate.edu/ramsdis/online/f9_8_0.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018408" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">US
East Water Vapor (IR3) - - loop - RAMSDID </A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/satellite/" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018408" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">US
East-West GOES 12-10 - RAP </A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.weatherimages.org/index.html#hurricanes" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018408" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Weather
Images .com tropics</A>
</DL>
</p><p></p><p><h4>Storm history, facts and references</h4></p><p><DL><DT><A HREF="http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/A5.html">NOAA FAQ: Hurricanes, Typhoons and tropical cyclones defined.</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.floridamemory.com/PhotographicCollection/disclaimer.cfm" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018404" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Florida
Photographic Collection</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/rsad/gibbs/gibbs.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018404" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Global
ISCCP B1 Browse System</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://hurricane.csc.noaa.gov/hurricanes/viewer.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018404" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">NOAA
CSC Historical Hurricane Tracks map generator application</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://hurricane.csc.noaa.gov/hurricanes/viewer.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018404" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">http--www.aoml.noaa.gov-hrd-Landsea-history-index</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.drgeorgepc.com/HurricaneSurge.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018404" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Hurricane
Surge Prediction - Understanding the Destructive Flooding Associated with
Hurricanes </A>
<DT><A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_notable_tropical_cyclones#Most_intense_storms_on_record" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018404" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">List
of notable tropical cyclones - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://meted.ucar.edu/topics_hurricane.php" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018404" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">MetEd
Topics: Hurricanes-Tropical</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/Data_Storm.html" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018404" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">Hurricane
Research Division: Hurricane Re-Analysis Project</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastdeadly.shtml?" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018404" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">National
Hurricane Center: The Deadliest Atlantic Tropical Cyclones, 1492-1996</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml" ADD_DATE="1203864581" LAST_VISIT="1212018404" LAST_MODIFIED="1203864581">NHC:
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale</A>
</DL>