We recently introduced the new Hurricane API, including the tropical cyclones endpoint, within our AerisWeather API. And while real-time, easy-to-use data is useful, visualizations of that data is what helps tell the story in minimizing storm risks. Today, we are announcing new tropical map layers within the AerisWeather Maps Platform (AMP). These new tropical map layers allow you to create a variety of tropical weather maps within your own apps and projects.

Tropical Cyclones Layer Overlaid on the Geocolor Satellite layer

Tropical Cyclones, the Primary Layer

The single tropical cyclones layer is the most commonly used tropical layer and displays all active cyclones across the globe, including the Atlantic, East Pacific (West Coast of North America), Central Pacific (Hawaii region), West Pacific, the Indian Ocean and the Southern Pacific/Hemisphere (Australia region).

The single tropical cyclones layer combines the following tropical cyclones components into a single layer using the z-index order from bottom to top:

• forecast error cone
• forecast line
• forecast point icons
• previous track line segments
• previous track points (circles)
• current position icon

Just use the layer code tropical-cyclones  to add this combined layer to your map.

Static Tropical Map Example

The following request will display a tropical map that includes both the history and forecast tracks for Super Typhoon Jebi in the West Pacific:

Hurricane API: Tropical Cyclone Layer Featuring Super Typhoon Jebi

Combining the tropical-cyclone  layer with our variety of satellite options is very helpful to show the full magnitude and size of a tropical cyclone:

Hurricane API: Tropical Cyclone Layer Overlaid on the Satellite Layer

Leaflet Example

The tropical cyclone layer can also be utilized with third-party mapping libraries, such as Leaflet. Combined with the tropicalcyclones  endpoint of our AerisWeather API, you can achieve a fully interactive tropical map:

While the tropical-cyclones  layer includes the most commonly used components in a single layer, the AerisWeather Mapping Platform allows users to combine the individual tropical layers in unique combinations. You just need to use a combination of one or more of the available new tropical layers.

For example, you may only want to display the current position and forecast, but not the previous track. You could use the combination of:

• tropical-cyclones-forecast-error-cones
• tropical-cyclones-forecasts-lines
• tropical-cyclones-forecasts-points
• tropical-cyclones-position-icons

Example of Combining Various Forecast layers and Current Position Icon

Or, instead you want to replace the forecast points with the system icons by replacing the tropical-cyclones-forecast-points  layer with tropical-cyclones-forecast-point-icons :

Example of Combining Various Forecast layers and Current Position Icon

Now, let’s add the cyclone names with the tropical-cyclones-names  layer:

Example of adding the tropical cyclone name layer

Use the MapBuilder

To check out all of the new tropical AMP layers, visit the MapBuilder within your member’s dashboard and select the Tropical category. You can add and combine them with any of our AMP layers to create your own custom tropical maps.

Tropical Cyclone Layers within the MapBuilder

Start Creating Tropical Maps Today!

Whether you’re using the default tropical cyclones layer or combining individual layers for a fully custom tropical map, our new tropical layers are really flexible to ensure you get the type of visualization you need. The new tropical layers are available to Premium AerisWeather Maps users as well as it free developer trial!

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