Hurricane Watch

This user-friendly application provides basic information about hurricanes both past and present. When you launch Hurricane Watch, you'll see a map that's centered on the East Coast of the United States, though you can zoom in to see specific states or out to view the entire planet. A toolbar helps you navigate the globe, but you'll do most of your important work via the FindStorms menu item. Once there, you'll locate hurricanes by specifying different criteria, including wind speed, location, month, and year. Then you simply select the storm you want to learn about, and the application will map it for you, displaying its path and wind speed at various times. You will find a few tools for customizing the appearance of the interface, including one that lets you add your own locations to the map. Science buffs, storm chasers, and users with an interest in meteorology are bound to find Hurricane Watch a valuable resource.