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. The data is generally provided at 3-hour intervals and includes parameters like maximum sustained wind speed and minimum central pressure. This resource is hosted by the Australian Ocean Data Network and offers subsets by ocean basin and time period.

Use Cases

• Analyze cyclone track patterns and frequency based on global historical records.
• Model cyclone intensity trends over time using maximum sustained wind speed data.
• Study regional cyclone activity by subsetting data for specific ocean basins like the North Atlantic or West Pacific.

Strengths

• Historical coverage spans from the 1840s to the present, providing a long-term climate record.
• Data is available at a high temporal resolution, generally at 3-hour intervals.
• Includes multiple intensity parameters like wind speed and central pressure from various international agencies.

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 NCEI.

Collection Method

Compilation of best track data from multiple international agencies.

Time Range

1840s to present

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-05 04:29:27.398125; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global, with subsets for seven major ocean basins.