World Typhoon Tracker
Watch active tropical cyclones worldwide on a live map with track paths and wind speeds.
Intensity Legend
Selected Storm
Select a storm
Choose a storm from the list or click a marker on the map to view its track and wind details.
Active Storm List
About the World Typhoon Tracker
The World Typhoon Tracker helps travellers, families, logistics teams, and weather watchers see where active tropical cyclones are located right now. It pulls open event data from NASA's Earth Observatory Natural Event Tracker (EONET), which aggregates tropical cyclone reports from sources such as the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and other official agencies.
Each storm is plotted on an interactive Google Map with its recent track path and the latest reported wind speed. Instead of scanning multiple agency pages, you can open one map, compare active systems, and quickly check whether a storm is intensifying, moving toward land, or remaining over open ocean.
This page is designed for practical monitoring. If you are planning flights across East Asia, checking shipping routes in the Western Pacific, following a named typhoon near the Philippines or Japan, or simply watching the global tropics during peak season, the tracker gives you a fast visual overview with searchable storm cards and source links.
The backend caches the upstream response briefly for performance, so the page stays responsive while still refreshing often enough for near-real-time monitoring. The map, stats, and storm list all use the same normalised dataset.
How to Use This Tool
- Open the map: Active storms appear as coloured markers. A line shows each storm's recent track.
- Search by name: Type part of a storm name such as “Bavi” or “Maysak” to filter the list and map.
- Compare intensity: Use the colour legend to see whether a system is a depression, tropical storm, typhoon/hurricane, or super typhoon/major hurricane.
- Select a storm: Click a marker or list card to open the latest position, wind speed, peak wind, and track timestamp.
- Refresh: Use Refresh Data when you want the backend to pull a newer cached snapshot from EONET.
- Open the source: Follow the advisory link when you need the original agency product for formal guidance.
For Singapore and Southeast Asia users, Western Pacific typhoons are often the most relevant systems, but the tracker also includes active tropical cyclones in other basins when they are reported.
Key Terms and Concepts
What counts as a typhoon here?
In everyday language, “typhoon” often means any strong tropical cyclone. This tool shows active tropical cyclones worldwide, including systems labelled as tropical depressions, tropical storms, typhoons, hurricanes, and super typhoons depending on basin and intensity.
Wind speed units
Upstream track points usually report sustained wind in knots. The page also converts that value to kilometres per hour so it is easier to compare at a glance.
Track path
The track is a sequence of observed positions over time. It helps you see the storm's recent movement, not a guaranteed future forecast cone.
Category colours
Colours are based on the latest reported wind speed. They are a quick visual guide and should not replace official warnings from meteorological agencies.
Data freshness
EONET updates as source agencies publish new positions. Quiet periods with no active storms are normal outside peak seasons or between systems.
Common Use Cases
- Travellers: Check whether an active typhoon is near your destination or flight corridor before you travel.
- Families abroad: Follow a named storm affecting relatives in East or Southeast Asia.
- Logistics and shipping: Get a quick map view of active systems that may disrupt ports, air cargo, or sea routes.
- News and research: Compare current storm names, positions, and intensities in one place.
- Weather enthusiasts: Watch intensification trends across the track points as new observations arrive.
- Emergency preparedness teams: Use the page as a lightweight situational overview alongside official advisories.
Examples
Example 1: If Super Typhoon Bavi is active, search “Bavi”, select the storm card, and review the latest wind speed plus the track line to see whether it is still strengthening or turning.
Example 2: Before a trip to Japan or the Philippines during typhoon season, open the map and scan for Western Pacific systems near your route. Click each marker for the latest position and source advisory.
Example 3: If the tropics are quiet, the page will show zero active storms. That is useful confirmation that no tropical cyclones are currently listed in the open event feed.
Data Sources
This tool uses open severe-storm event data from NASA EONET. Individual storm records may cite upstream agencies such as JTWC and other official tropical cyclone centres.
- Primary feed: NASA EONET severeStorms events (open status)
- Typical fields: storm title, source links, track geometry, observation timestamps, and wind magnitude in knots
- Map rendering: Google Maps JavaScript API for markers and track polylines
Always treat national meteorological agencies and official warning centres as the authoritative source for watches, warnings, and evacuation guidance.
Important Notes
Informational only: This page visualises open event data. It is not an official warning service and should not replace local emergency instructions.
Not a forecast cone: The track shows recent observed positions. Future path uncertainty still requires official forecast products.
Naming differs by basin: The same intensity may be called a typhoon, hurricane, or cyclone depending on the ocean basin.
Quiet seasons happen: Seeing no active storms is normal when the tropics are calm.
Map requires Google Maps: If the API key is missing or the script fails, the searchable storm list still works.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often is the typhoon data updated?
The page fetches open EONET severe-storm events and caches them briefly on the server. Freshness still depends on when upstream agencies publish new track points.
Does this cover only Western Pacific typhoons?
No. The tracker shows active tropical cyclones worldwide when they appear in the open severe-storms feed, including systems that may be called hurricanes or cyclones in other basins.
What do the colours mean?
Colours are based on the latest reported wind speed, ranging from tropical depression through tropical storm, typhoon/hurricane, and super typhoon/major hurricane intensity.
Is the track line a forecast?
No. The line connects recent observed positions. For official forecast cones and warnings, open the linked agency advisory.
Why might a storm disappear from the list?
Once a system is no longer listed as an open severe-storm event, it will drop off the active list. That usually means it has weakened, dissipated, or been closed in the upstream feed.
Can I use this on mobile?
Yes. The map, stats, and storm cards are responsive for phones and tablets as well as desktop.
Why is the map unavailable but the list still works?
The map needs a configured Google Maps API key. Storm data loads from the backend independently, so the list can still work without the map.
Should I rely on this during an emergency?
Use it as a quick overview only. Follow official meteorological warnings, local government instructions, and emergency services for life-safety decisions.