HURRICANES & TROPICAL STORMS

Welcome to The Weather Network's hub for all information on hurricanes and tropical storms in Canada and around the world.

Hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean begins on June 1st and in the Pacific Ocean on May 15th. Both end on November 30th, but tropical systems can form any time of the year. Stay up-to-date on tropical development with the information below.

CURRENT ACTIVITY

Visit our live radar map to view the track of any active tropical systems. Click the image above to visit the radar map.

The National Hurricane Center produces a two-day and seven-day tropical weather outlook that also includes any active storms or areas of concern. The Canadian Hurricane Centre provides statements on Canadian-impact tropical systems when there is a system of concern.

Hurricanes are among the strongest storms on earth. Fueled by warm tropical waters, they can bring devastating winds and storm surge to coastal areas, and torrential rain well inland.

Hurricanes and tropical storms can form at any time of year, but are most active when ocean waters are warmest in the Atlantic Basin, between June 1 and November 30. The climatological peak for tropical activity is the first half of September. The amount of tropical activity varies from year to year depending on various atmospheric conditions.

The intensity of Hurricanes is rated by the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which assigns each storm a rating of 1-5 based on its wind speed. However it's important to note that the Saffir-Simpson Scale only estimates damage from wind, and doesn't take into account other hazards such as storm surge, flooding rain, lightning or tornadoes that may be associated with the storm.

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