International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS)
World Data Center for Meteorology, Asheville.

IBTrACS-WMO Data formats

  • IBTrACS data are available in various formats used by the tropical cyclone community.
  • Users should select the format based on the parameters which they need, since not all parameters are available in each format.
  • All data formats derive from the IBTrACS Dataset format (one file per storm)

Data access summary

Type Summary
By storm 1 storm per file (>10 000 files)
All storms All storms in 1 file
Storms by basin All storms from 1 basin in 1 file
Storms by year All storms from 1 year in 1 file

Description of file types


top of page netCDF

Summary

This reformat is an attempt to facilitate reading IBTrACS files by combining storms into one file. This is done by buffering the number of observations per storm and making the storm index be the unlimited dimension.

Parameters available

All variables stored in the IBTrACS Dataset except the original reports from the source agencies (e.g., orig_lat, orig_lon, orig_pres, orig_wind).

Sample data

Format description

Data are netCDF format

Dataset access

More information on this format is available as a README file


top of page HURDAT / NOAA Tape Format / TD9697 format

Warning: This format specification limits the parameters available in this output format

Summary

Given the widespread usage of HURDAT data, IBTrACS data is also provided in a similar format. Often called the "HURDAT format" or the TD9697 format, it is a hold over from the obsolete punch card days where each line contains a maximum of 72 characters.

Caveats

  • This format does not allow the full set of IBTrACS data to be reported.
  • The AllStorms.tape.VERSION.tape file does not completely follow the HURDAT format. The presence of storms in both hemispheres requires a previously blank space to be used as a norhtern or southern hemisphere flag. Other files (basin and hemispheres) are not affected since they do not span the Equator
  • For details on differences from the HURDAT format, see the README file description.

Parameters available

  • Time and Position
  • Basin
  • Maximum sustained wind and Minimum central pressure
  • Storm nature

Sample data

Format description

Dataset access


top of page ATCF

Warning: This format specification limits the parameters available in this output format

Summary

This format is widely used in the tropical cyclone community.

Caveats

This format does not allow the full set of IBTrACS data to be reported.

Parameters available

  • Time and Position
  • Basin
  • Maximum sustained wind and Minimum central pressure
  • Storm nature

Sample data

Format description

Dataset access


top of page cXML

Warning: This format specification limits the parameters available in this output format

Summary

cXML was designed to facilitate the exchange of tropical cyclone information.

Caveats

This format does not allow the full set of IBTrACS data to be reported.

Parameters available

  • Time and Position
  • Maximum sustained wind and Minimum central pressure
  • Storm nature

Sample data

Format description

Dataset access


top of page WMO - WMO Standard format

Warning: This format specification limits the parameters available in this output format

Summary

This format is used in the tropical cyclone community.

Caveats

This format does not allow the full set of IBTrACS data to be reported.

Parameters available

  • Time and Position
  • Basin
  • Maximum sustained wind and Minimum central pressure
  • Storm nature

Sample data

Format description

Dataset access


top of page CSV - Comma Separated Variables

Summary

This format contains most variables derived during the creation of IBTrACS.
The format can easily be imported to a spreadsheet or database.

Parameters available

See format description.

Sample data

Format Description

Dataset access

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