Historical map of cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons (2012)

Map of all cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons (1851–2012)

This map, created by John Nelson for IDV Solutions in 2012, shows all tropical storms, typhoons, cyclones, and hurricanes recorded worldwide since 1851, using data from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).

For the representation, the author has chosen a colour scale that determines the category of each event according to the Saffir-Simpson scale. Category 5 hurricanes are shown in green, while category 1 tropical storms are shown in dark blue.

At the bottom right, some relevant information appears to help understand the nature of the data:

Detection improved from 1940 onwards thanks to the increase in air travel across the Atlantic Ocean.
A further improvement came in 1960 with the use of satellites to track hurricanes and understand their trajectories.
Detection in the eastern hemisphere (Asian coast of the Pacific Ocean) improved from 1970 onwards thanks to the bases established in Guam and the Philippines.

The map has an azimuthal projection centred on Antarctica, with high distortion in the northern hemisphere, represented on the outer part of the map.