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What Type of Weather Data Is Gathered in a Hurricane?

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are the primary federal government agencies that monitor and collect information about hurricanes in the United States. Using a variety of means such as satellites, airplanes and ground-based systems, the agencies work to predict and minimize damage from the storms.

Remote Sensors
- Wind speed and temperature are key components of hurricane studies.
  
  Combining data from ground stations and radar, scientists can determine the effect hurricanes have on how the Earth's atmosphere behaves. Readings on wind speed, barometric pressure, temperature and humidity from inside the storm are gathered by these remote sensors.
Satellite Observations
- Scientists also study hurricanes using data collected from satellites orbiting the Earth.
  
  Throughout the life cycle of a hurricane, several agencies, including NASA, NOAA and the U.S. Air Force, collect data about how the storm is behaving from afar. Data points collected as real-time current conditions include velocity, the location of storm's center, rainfall totals, the width of the storm and projections on the storm's path.
Firsthand Accounts
- Super computers assist researchers in studying hurricanes and their paths.
  
  In addition to automated remote sensors and satellite imagery, the National Hurricane Center also collects firsthand accounts on storm conditions from researchers in the field. This data is aggregated and combined with all of the other data sets in order to study and improve future forecasts.