Global Tropical Cyclone Tracks and Intensity from 1840s to Present

IBTrACS provides location and intensity data for global tropical cyclones, with records spanning from the 1840s to the present. Data is generally provided at 3-hour intervals and includes parameters like maximum sustained wind speed and minimum central pressure. The dataset is maintained by NOAA and aggregated by the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Use Cases

• Modeling cyclone path and intensity trends based on the long-term historical record.
• Analyzing storm frequency and severity by ocean basin using the provided basin subsets.
• Validating climate models using the detailed 3-hourly position and intensity data.

Strengths

• Data spans over 180 years, from the 1840s to the present.
• Provides global coverage across seven major ocean basins.
• Includes multiple intensity parameters like wind speed and central pressure.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic or temporal bias inherent to the contributing agencies.

Provenance

Source

International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS), NOAA.

Collection Method

Aggregated best track data from multiple global agencies.

Time Range

1840s to present.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-22 03:18:21.864476; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global, with subsets for East Pacific, North Atlantic, North Indian, South Atlantic, South Indian, South Pacific, and West Pacific basins.