StormTracker user guide - Met Office

Data provenance and guidanceCategories for historical stormsThese refer to the highest category (strength, measured by sustained wind speed and storm surge) thestorm reached in its lifetime. Categories are defined as per the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale and relate tothe thresholds for wind speeds and storm surge below:Category Wind speed Storm surgeMph (km/h)Ft (m)5 ≥156 (≥250) >18 (>5.5)4 131–155 (210–249) 13–18 (4.0–5.5)3 111–130 (178–209) 9–12 (2.7–3.7)2 96–110 (154–177) 6–8 (1.8–2.4)1 74–95 (119–153) 4–5 (1.2–1.5)TS (Tropical Storm) 39–73 (63–117) 0–3 (0–0.9)TD (Tropical Depression) 0–38 (0–62) 0 (0)Start date (month and year)The start date for the search. Any tropical storm that occurred on or after this date will be included in thesearch results. Dates can be selected for months and years from January 1850 until December 2009.End date (month and year)The finish date for the search. Any tropical storm that occurred on or before this date will be included in thesearch results. Dates can be selected for months and years from January 1850 until December 2009.LandfallWhether the storm made landfall at any point in its lifetime (i.e. cross the coastline onto land).c. Usual availability timeNot applicable. Data will be updated with previous year’s storms on an annual basis.d. Guidance on use of historical storm dataNot applicable.29 StormTracker User Guide v3