Get Wind of These Hurricane Tracker Apps

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NOAA now app.
NOAA now app.
NOAA now app.

 

As hurricane season enters its most active time, tracking those storms can be a breeze with apps for the iPhone and iPad.


Hurricane Irene hammered Puerto Rico and is expected to gather deadly momentum when it reaches Florida in the next 48 to 72 hours. Hurricane season in the Atlantic begins June 1 and ends November 30; the Eastern Pacific hurricane season begins May 15th and also ends November 30. The season peaks beginning in mid-August, says National Weather Service meteorologist Alfredo Vega.

Here are some apps to keep you informed:

The Weather Channel, offered gratis,  is a good place to start. In addition to enough detailed reports and forecasts to make even the most staunch person lose the desire to leave the basement shelter, there are iWitness weather updates. Seasoned weather watchers also recommend following the mobile version of the TV channel.

NOAA Now app, also a freebie, provides info from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration including: hurricanes and tropical storms in the Atlantic, Eastern Pacific and Central Pacific cyclone basins, mainland storms, including tornado and severe thunderstorm alerts.

Hurricane Tracker, which bills itself as the most comprehensive hurricane app,  has swept to the top of the paid iTunes weather apps. For $2.99 it offers real-time updates and threat level maps plus  push alerts. It’s so entertaining and informative, iTunes reviewer NewsJunkieBob said that he “uses it even when there’s no thread of a tropical storm,”  adding that he likes to peruse the satellite maps to check the Florida weather.

The Twitter iPhone app will also help keep you informed, in addition to using hashtags in search mode, the National Hurricane Center has started a feed for each hurricane. They are informative with lots of pics and entertaining enough to read even while your teeth chatter. For example Irene wonders: “Does this shade of purple make me look fat?” The NHC also hosts two hurricane alert feeds on Twitter, @NHC_Atlantic   and @NHC_Pacific.

Which ones do you use?


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