Weather

Travel Weather & Alerts

What's the weather like in the ports I'm visiting?

Is there a tropical storm approaching?

How do I learn more about being prepared?

Answers to these questions and more ...

 Active Weather Alerts (NOAA)  RSS Feeds (NOAA) NWS - Local Weather  Met Office (UK) 
Real-time Weather Sites  Weather.com WeatherBug  Weather Underground





Weather warnings on the go!


Imagine you are driving down the road and your phone emits a very strange sound. The skies are dark ahead - could that be a warning? You pull off the road to read the text and sure enough there's a tornado reported in your area.

We've had this happen to us while driving through Tennessee one December. We'd just left the restaurant, thought we could make it to our destination before the next storm cell approached, but we were wrong - it was heading our way. We were lucky enough to know the area and were able to pull off the road and take shelter inside a nearby store until the storm passed.

Read more about the WEA system and how it works (click here or image)


Topics covered in this article:
Hurricanes, Typhoons, Tsunamis, Tides & Currents; Volcano Eruptions

Cruise lines will do everything to keep passengers and crew safe. A cruise is rarely canceled because of weather, even hurricanes. The cruise lines monitor progress of any storms both in their main offices and onboard the vessels. They work closely with the various weather services, such as NOAA and NHC, to make determinations about itinerary deviations.

In the event of an actual Tropical Storm Warning or other Alert, consult this blog for Cruise Line Alerts.  Every attempt will be made to provide timely updates in the event of weather emergencies.

See where ships are relative to tropical storms
Interactive tracking map (real-time ship tracking)


Hurricanes  (Season starts June 1st)


Climate Prediction Center (CPC) meteorologists and oceanographers review climate and weather observations and data along with model results; assess their meaning, significance, and current status; and likely future climate impacts. Their findings are issued as assessments, advisories, special outlook discussions, and bulletins.

Hurricane season goes from June 1st through November.   We will publish outlook and storm-specific articles to assist you in your cruise planning and travels.   The links here can be useful for up to the minute information.   What is a hurricane?


A lack of hurricane awareness and preparation has in the past lead to major hurricane disasters. By knowing the dangers and what actions you should take, you can reduce the effects of a hurricane disaster. Hurricane Preparedness Week occurs each May.


A Hurricane Preparedness Web site has been launched by NOAA. The goal of this Web site is to inform the public about the hurricane hazards and provide knowledge which can be used to take ACTION. This information can be used to save lives at work, home, while on the road, or on the water. 

National Hurricane Center (NHC) Active Storms
NASA Hurricane Tracking     NASA Hurricane Education


Useful Web Sites for Tropical Storm Information

Hurricane Preparedness & Predictions
Learn about hurricane hazards and make a plan

Hurricane Preparedness 

 
Climate Prediction Centerexpert assessments of climate and weather 
Current & Past Hurricane PredictionsHurricane Zone Page - select current or past predictions from list of past articles
Colorado State UniversityTropical Meteorology Project's Forecasts    
Practical Guide to Hurricane Tracking & Plottingvery informative private site; also locals reporting 
Hurricane Educational Sites
Disaster info, plan & prepare, 
recover & rebuild

FEMA Hurricane Info for Kids

NASA Hurricane Education

Owlie Skywarn

 
Climate Glossarylearn the terminology so that you are better prepared
Tropical Cyclone Hazardsdamaging winds aren't the only danger       
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scalethe scale is a 1 to 5 rating based on a hurricane's sustained wind speed. 

Resources (information, games, activities)
Hurricane & Tropical Weather Monitoring

Weather alerts, historical data, outlooks

NOAA

National Weather Service

Eastern Pacific Cyclone Activity

Atlantic Cyclone Activity

Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook
 
Real-time
Monitoring
(Atlantic)

(E. Pacific)
current atmospheric and oceanic conditions                      
National Hurricane Center

Canadian Hurricane Centre
graphical tropical weather outlook, marine forecast

National Hurricane Center (NHC) Active Storms
Marine Forecastsregionally focused information for mariners              
NASA Hurricane Tracking    
Latest storm images and data from NASA
learn about historical tropical cyclones

Rip Current Safety Tips
Typhoons

A tropical storm in the West Pacific, when it intensifies, becomes a Typhoon. A typhoon is a tropical storm with sustained winds in excess of 119 km/h or approximately 74 mph. If the same storm were in the Atlantic, it would be called a hurricane.


Tsunami

A tsunami is a series of long ocean waves. Each individual wave crest can last 5 to 15 minutes or more and extensively flood coastal areas. The danger can continue for many hours after the initial wave as subsequent waves arrive.  As we've seen recently, these can be spawned by major earthquakes, such as the one in Chile.

Click here for More Links
DART® real-time tsunami monitoring systems, developed by PMEL, are positioned at strategic locations throughout the ocean and play a critical role in tsunami forecasting.

DART® (Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis)


Tides & Currents 



Volcanic Activity