In lower latitudes rates range from five to twenty miles per hour and in high latitudes, speeds may increase as much as fifty miles per hour (Encarta). Traveling speeds not only vary, but the rotation varies also. In the Northern Hemisphere a hurricane rotates counter clockwise and in the Southern Hemisphere they rotate clockwise.
In the 1950's a hurricane center was developed. The National Hurricane Center or NHC, is the main hurricane-tracking center (Longshore 349). The NHC's main job is to track hurricanes and release weather updates to other weather centers and to the public. Updated weather information is released every six hours. One of the ways of tracking was developed in the mid 1950's. It was a coordinate system that has made periodic improvements over the years ("Hurricanes"). The primary method of tracking storms in modern day is by satellite systems that are placed in outer space. The satellite sends weather updates and pictures of the hurricane's position ("Hurricanes"). .
The method of researching characteristics of hurricanes is done mainly by aircraft. Since 1943, United States aircraft have been flying into hurricanes to measure wind velocity and direction ("Hurricanes"). NHC, hurricane research division of scientists then takes the scientific facts and uses them to warn people faster so they can take better precautions and maybe save more lives.
Another job of the National Hurricane Center is to name tropical depressions and hurricanes. Once a tropical disturbance intensifies to a tropical storm with wind speeds above thirty-nine miles per hour, a name is assigned. Prior to 1950, military weather forecasters assigned numbers to tropical storms. Beginning in 1953, these storms were given only female names. The names were listed in alphabetical order, with the first tropical storm of the year given a name beginning with the letter "A". In 1978, both men's and women's names were included in the lists.
