The new Advanced Dvorak Technique-Hurricane Satellite (ADT-HURSAT) dataset is now available! The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (UW/CIMSS) began development of the updated ADT-HURSAT in the fall of 2024 with the goal of providing valuable support for industries and scientific communities interested in hurricane (also known as tropical cyclone) records with consistent storm intensity data across time and geography. ADT-HURSAT is ideal for long-term historical analysis going back to 1978, as well as future-facing risk assessment and hurricane preparedness.
NCEI extended and updated the Hurricane Satellite (HURSAT) dataset (which was previously updated in 2019) through 2024, and CIMSS applied the previously developed Advanced Dvorak Technique (ADT) algorithm to the data. This algorithm analyzes storm features seen in satellite imagery to determine the initial storm center and derives the intensity for various phases of the storm’s lifecycle. By migrating the dataset to the cloud via the NOAA Open Data Dissemination (NODD) Program, NCEI is ensuring broad availability and access to the data for the public.
NCEI’s industry initiative developed a new web interface featuring direct download capabilities and a Python notebook to assist users in data access and example use cases to demonstrate potential applications. These steps illustrate how NCEI is making ADT-HURSAT data more accessible and usable for the public without specialized platforms or years of background knowledge. The Python tutorial is designed to help users—particularly those with minimal technical backgrounds—access and utilize the dataset effectively. Feedback from several U.S. industries influenced the development of ADT-HURSAT, supporting proactive emergency management measures that protect the lives, property and businesses in communities across the nation.
Retailers can incorporate insights from the ADT-HURSAT dataset into supply chain management strategies to analyze previous storm data and their effects on shipping routes and logistics. By learning from the past, retailers can maintain product availability, minimize delays and better allocate resources during severe weather events. Additionally, emergency management teams can reduce the risk to storefronts and warehouses, protecting employees, customers and inventory. This improved preparedness not only strengthens business continuity but also helps the communities they serve by ensuring access to essential goods, supporting faster recovery after storms and enhancing overall public safety.
With access to records of hurricane intensity and behavior, insurers and reinsurers can update catastrophe models to improve the accuracy of identifying high-risk regions and how storms may evolve. Communities benefit from clearer risk insights that insurers can use to guide homeowners and businesses towards appropriate coverage and mitigation measures such as improved building and flood defenses.
The ADT-HURSAT dataset supports a wide range of industry and scientific applications by providing a long-term perspective that enables users to better understand hurricane behavior, assess risk and support future-facing planning and preparedness efforts. By improving access to reliable storm intensity data, ADT-HURSAT helps inform decisions that advance scientific understanding, protect communities, strengthen business continuity and support the national economy.
ADT-HURSAT, along with NOAA’s suite of environmental information products and services, provides accurate, reliable and user-friendly weather and climate data that can be used to plan logistics, allocate resources and strengthen infrastructure ahead of hurricanes and severe storms. By delivering dependable weather insights, NOAA and NCEI support weather-resilient communities, economic stability and long-term disaster preparedness nationwide. For more information and access to the ADT-HURSAT dataset, please visit the product page, and to learn more about the impact of NOAA products on U.S. industries and the economy, visit NCEI’s “Our Impact” page.
