Innovation, insight and impact: groundbreaking research through the 2024 hurricane season

Research briefing on aircraft. Credit: NOAA

November 30th marks the official end of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. Throughout this active season, NOAA scientists set new records in tropical cyclone research that will improve forecasting accuracy, enhance our understanding of storm behavior, and strengthen preparedness efforts for communities in hurricane-prone regions. Their dedication and innovation contribute to a safer and more resilient future for those facing the impacts of extreme weather events.

NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) and NOAA’s Aircraft Operations Center (AOC) flew into eight different tropical cyclones and conducted a total of 67 operational and research missions aboard the NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft. These missions started as early as June with Category 5 Hurricane Beryl as it rapidly intensified in the Caribbean, and continued as late as November as Hurricane Rafael moved northward towards Cuba and the Gulf. 

Research missions were conducted in partnership with NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO), and operational missions were requested by NOAA’s National Hurricane Center and the Environmental Modeling Center to collect data and observations that are crucial for improving track and intensity forecasts.