Is the storm data real?

Yes. It comes from the U.S. National Hurricane Center, refreshed by the pipeline, so positions and strengths are the official ones.

Why is the map often empty?

Tropical cyclones are seasonal. Outside the June-to-November season there are usually none, and the map says so.

Should I rely on this for safety?

No. It's an ambient display — always follow official forecasts and local guidance for any real decisions.

Why does it use a pipeline?

The Hurricane Center feed isn't readable directly from a browser, so a small background script fetches it and saves a snapshot.

Yes — free, no download, in your browser.

Hurricane Tracker Screensaver

The Hurricane Tracker screensaver is a live map of active tropical cyclones — their position, strength and forecast track — from the U.S. National Hurricane Center, gathered by the pipeline. It's free, seasonal, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.

How the Hurricane Tracker screensaver works

A background pipeline reads the National Hurricane Center's list of active tropical cyclones in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific.

Each storm is drawn on a world map as a spinning cyclone whose size and color reflect its strength, from tropical depression to Category 5.

Its name, classification and wind speed are labelled, with an arrow showing which way it's moving.

Hurricane season runs roughly June to November; out of season the map calmly notes that no storms are active.

A worked example

During an active spell the Atlantic might show Hurricane Helene · Cat 3 · 120 kt spinning off the coast with a motion arrow, while quieter weeks simply read No active tropical cyclones — Atlantic season Jun–Nov.

Settings & tips

Basin filters to the Atlantic, eastern Pacific, or all storms.
Accent recolours the map highlights.
Run automation/run.py hurricane on your pipeline machine to refresh storms.

Frequently asked questions

Is the storm data real?: Yes. It comes from the U.S. National Hurricane Center, refreshed by the pipeline, so positions and strengths are the official ones.
Why is the map often empty?: Tropical cyclones are seasonal. Outside the June-to-November season there are usually none, and the map says so.
Should I rely on this for safety?: No. It's an ambient display — always follow official forecasts and local guidance for any real decisions.
Why does it use a pipeline?: The Hurricane Center feed isn't readable directly from a browser, so a small background script fetches it and saves a snapshot.
Is it free?: Yes — free, no download, in your browser.

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