Andy Walker / Android Authority
Your favorite Android weather app probably meets your daily needs. It shows high and low temperatures, forecasts days in advance, and might even have cute widgets you can move around your home screen. However, standard weather apps often miss the mark when tracking tropical weather.
Tropical storms are a seasonal concern for millions worldwide. Every year, from June through November, North Americans are on high alert for disturbances forming in the Atlantic. Although the 2025 Atlantic season has been unusually quiet, a powerful landfall can’t be ruled out for the rest of the year. Therefore, it’s crucial to have a quick way to check upcoming conditions. Traditional weather apps don’t suffice, and that’s where my favorite seasonal weather app comes in.
Do you use an app to track tropical storms? 6 votes Yes, I do (mention which app in the comments). 67 % No, I use other sources. 33 %
Not your average weather app
I may not live in a tropical area, but Tropical Hurricane Tracker (THT) is essential for anyone who does. It’s a free, ad-supported app offering near real-time information about tropical storms, disturbances in various tropical basins, and forecasts from official sources.
The focus here is function over form, so while it won’t win any design awards, Tropical Hurricane Tracker makes finding critical information easy for both experienced weather enthusiasts and newcomers.
THT relies heavily on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Since neither has an official Android app, Tropical Hurricane Tracker is the perfect portal to explore this data.
I spend most of my time on the app’s home page, where all information branches and options are located. It displays active storms and disturbances within your chosen basin, including the current NOAA advisory, the tropical outlook from the NHC, imagery, a list of the year’s past and upcoming names, and historical data. There’s a lot to explore here, but you’ll find a static view of the Atlantic basin (or your chosen basin) and the active storms’ positions at the top.
To focus on a particular storm, tap on its button. These buttons also show immediately relevant information, including a storm’s current Saffir-Simpson scale strength, physical position, wind speed, forward motion, and minimum pressure. The dedicated storm page offers even more details, such as for Subtropical Storm Karen. Public advisories, track models, the 5-Day Uncertainty Track, and the forecast discussion are all available. In short, everything you might want to know about a storm is right here.
North America isn’t the only region experiencing tropical weather. Those near the Eastern and Central Pacific have dedicated tabs at the bottom of the app. This data comes from weather authorities overseeing their respective basins. Tapping Other unlocks the West Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Southern Hemisphere.
For a global view, THT offers an Active Storm tab that charts current storms, their track history, and uncertainty tracks and forecasts the Saffir-Simpson scale on a worldwide map. You can pan across all basins to view storm locations, see satellite overlays, or tap on selected storms for more information.
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For enthusiasts and novices alike
Andy Walker / Android Authority
All the information above is crucial for anyone living in a tropical zone, but THT also covers basics for those unfamiliar with preparedness and safety practices. Tap the three-line menu button to open the sidebar, where you can learn about tropical cyclone classification, maps of various basins, and which authorities are responsible for advisories in different regions. Tap below, and you will find a breakdown of the Saffir-Simpson wind scale, including the types of damage expected from each storm category. Finally, the Safety and Preparedness section offers quick, actionable details on finding shelter, a preparedness schedule, and information on riding out and recovering from a storm. Pair this information with the data it provides, and Tropical Hurricane Tracker is an exceptional seasonal resource.
Tropical Hurricane Tracker offers both enthusiasts and novices all the tropical weather info you could want or need.
But the app doesn’t just cater to novices. There are features for those who love the science behind storms. The Buoy Data page displays data from ships, weather stations, lighthouses, and buoys across the mainland and basins. Although I would like to see this data on the Active Storms page for easier access, it’s still interesting to tap a station near or ahead of the storm and view related atmospheric data.
Finally, its notification system makes Tropical Hurricane Tracker invaluable during hurricane season. The app alerts users whenever new information is issued on a per-basin or per-storm basis. Each notification can include advisory text, a graphic of the storm, or a simple text-only update. This system saves time ahead of a storm’s arrival.
Before replacing your default Android weather app, consider this: Tropical Hurricane Tracker isn’t meant to be a standalone weather advisor. It doesn’t display normal weather indicators. You’ll still rely on your daily weather app for high and low temperatures, wind details, UV indicators, and more. This means it works best when paired with another app, whether a graphical app like Windy, Ventusky, or Meteograms Weather Widget, or a traditional weather app like Breezy, Pixel Weather, or Today Weather.
This isn’t a drawback; having a specialized app for potentially life-threatening conditions is wise.
Of course, some users may prefer visiting official sources directly via a web browser, watching updates from industry experts on video platforms, or simply watching the news. But Tropical Hurricane Tracker is more immediate than these options without sacrificing data quality, and nothing is more important than time ahead of potentially life-threatening weather.
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