BCSE497J - Project-I

DEVELOPMENT OF AN EASY TO ACCESS DISCORD BOT

FOR TRACKING TROPICAL CYCLONES

21BCE0121 SOHUM CHATTERJEE

21BCT0063 KAGWADE JAI SACHIN
21BCE0101 MANTRAM DWIVEDI

Under the Supervision of

DR. JAYAKUMAR K
Associate Professor Sr.
School of Computer Science and Engineering (SCOPE)

B.Tech.
in
Computer Science and Engineering

School of Computer Science and Engineering

November 2024
 ABSTRACT

This paper presents a comprehensive Discord bot designed to facilitate the tracking
and analysis of tropical cyclones. It features a variety of commands categorized into storm
tracking, Dvorak technique calculations, meteorological analysis, and custom plotting. Storm
tracking commands enable users to fetch and display data from multiple sources including
ATCF, Best Track files, NOAA SSD Archives, and IBTrACS. It can generate detailed plots
and statistical outputs from data sources such as RIPA, HURSAT, RAMMB, Digital Typhoon,
and NRL TCSAT links. It also implements several Dvorak technique scene type algorithms to
calculate DT values based on different storm scenes. It also features the implementation of
several analytical tools, including CKZ W/P relationship calculations, mean sea level
pressure, and distance measurements. Furthermore, the bot supports CIMSS-related
commands for generating shear plots, vorticity graphs, and SATCON data, among others.
Additional features encompass custom plots for ENSO, MEI, IOD, PDO, and SST, as well as
various imagery and anomaly records. This project is an attempt at providing a robust
platform for real-time tropical cyclone monitoring and analysis, leveraging multiple datasets
and meteorological models to deliver useful information to end users.

Keywords - Tropical Cyclones, Discord, IBTRACS, Rapid Intensification, Best Track.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Sl.No Contents Page No.

Abstract i
1. INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Background 1
2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND GOALS 2
2.1 Literature Review 2
2.2 Research Gap 4
2.3 Objectives 5
2.4 Problem Statement 6
2.5 Project Plan 6
3. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION 7
3.1 Requirements 7
3.1.1 Functional 7
3.1.2 Non-Functional 8
3.2 Feasibility Study 10
3.2.1 Technical Feasibility 10
3.2.2 Economic Feasibility 11
3.2.2 Social Feasibility 11
3.3 System Specification 12
3.3.1 Hardware Specification 12
3.3.2 Software Specification 12
4. DESIGN APPROACH AND DETAILS 14
4.1 System Architecture 14
4.2 Design 17
4.2.1 Data Flow Diagram 17
4.2.2 Use Case Diagram 18
5. REFERENCES 19

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 1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

Tropical Cyclones are some of the deadliest forces of nature known in recorded
history. Every year, an average of 88 Tropical Cyclones form worldwide across seven
internationally recognized basins, distributed unevenly across each known ocean, with the
exception of the Arctic and the Southern Ocean, as of NOAA CPC’s 1991-2020 annual
average.

Currently, the community surrounding the tracking of such storms is a niche one, with
most of the public getting their information directly from official outlets on social media or
their main websites. Another significant set get their information from news channels.
However, it is notable to see that there is a significant barrier to access for more detailed
information when looking into details for the environment and characteristics surrounding the
Cyclone, as most of the data is stored in either difficult to parse FTP servers, or impossible to
read netCDF files.

Keeping this in mind, development on this project began to take shape with a clear
goal in sight, that being to help make data access for these storms more egalitarian in nature,
and to help improve awareness and knowledge of these oft-misunderstood storms among the
general populace.

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 2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND GOALS

2.1 Literature Review

The tracking and analysis of Tropical Cyclones (TCs) have long relied on various data
sources and methodologies, many of which are complex and technical, posing challenges for
accessibility and usage. This project aims to bridge the gap between specialized
meteorological data and broader accessibility, especially through innovative platforms like
Discord bots. Below is a review of key literature that informs this project.

1. CIMSS AMSU (Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit):

AMSU provides satellite-based TC intensity estimates using microwave data. Studies by

Herndon & Velden (2004) and Brueske & Velden (2003) highlight improvements in
algorithm accuracy for storm intensity prediction. These sources are foundational to the
project's satellite-based tracking capabilities.

2. Wind-Pressure Relationships:

Several methodologies have been developed to link minimum sea-level pressure (MSLP)
with maximum sustained wind speeds:

● Courtney & Knaff (2009) adapted the Knaff and Zehr (CKZ) relationship for
operational use in warning centers.

● Atkinson & Holliday (1977) developed the AH 1977 relationship for the Western
North Pacific, providing a basis for wind-pressure estimates, essential for historical
analysis in TC datasets.

3. NOAA Coral Reef Watch:

NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch data (2018) offers daily global satellite-derived information on
sea surface temperatures (SST) and coral bleaching risks. These datasets are critical for
understanding the oceanic environment surrounding TCs and potential environmental impacts
of storms.

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4. Ocean Heat Content (OHC):

OHC is crucial for understanding the energy available to TCs for intensification. Cheng et al.
(2017) and Levitus et al. (2012) provide improved OHC estimates, contributing valuable data
for forecasting storm potential intensity and environmental analysis.

5. Maximum Potential Intensity (MPI) of TCs:

Free, Bister, & Emanuel (2004) studied the MPI of TCs by comparing results from
radiosonde and reanalysis data. This research is integral to understanding the theoretical
upper limit of a TC's strength, enhancing the project's predictive models.

6. Sea Surface Temperature (SST) Products:

The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) provide long-term SST records
critical for climate studies:

● The Optimum Interpolation SST (OISST) by Huang et al. (2020) and Reynolds et al.
(2007) offers daily high-resolution blended SST analyses.

● The Extended Reconstructed SST version 5 (ERSSTv5) by Huang et al. (2017) and
others improves long-term temperature records, offering valuable insights into climate
trends affecting TCs.

7. International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS):

Schreck et al. (2014) and Knapp et al. (2013) emphasize the need for consistent best track
datasets for global TC climatologies. IBTrACS provides a standardized global record of TCs,
essential for historical analysis and model training in the project.

8. Soil Moisture Active-Passive (SMAP) Mission:

Brown et al. (2013) discuss NASA's SMAP mission, which provides critical soil moisture
data. This data could be leveraged for landfall impact analysis and environmental monitoring
in the project.

9. GridSat-B1 Satellite Data:

Knapp et al. (2011) introduce globally gridded satellite data for climate studies, offering
consistent satellite records useful for long-term TC analysis.

10. Climatological Indices:

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Several climatological indices are important for assessing large-scale environmental drivers
of TC formation and intensity:

● The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (Mantua & Hare, 2002),

● El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) (Wang et al., 2017),
● Indian Ocean Dipole (Vinayachandran et al., 2009).

These indices provide a framework for understanding TC variability and environmental

conditions conducive to storm development.

11. ASCAT Wind Data:

Chou, Wu, & Lin (2013) assessed wind error characteristics in ASCAT data, which is
important for surface wind field analysis in TCs.

12. Satellite Imagery and CIMSS:

Advances in satellite-based analysis, particularly with the Dvorak technique, have improved
TC intensity estimation. Olander & Velden (2019), Velden & Herndon (2020), and other
CIMSS studies provide tools that help estimate TC intensity from satellite observations,
which will be incorporated into the project’s capabilities.

2.2 Research Gap

The cessation of aircraft reconnaissance in the Western Pacific Basin after 1987 significantly
reduced the availability of in-situ data for storms, introducing larger error margins for various
environmental variables used in models such as ECMWF ERAv5, NCEP NCAR Reanalysis,
and the ERSST Index, which the Discord bot relies on. The absence of aircraft-based data has
particularly impacted the accuracy of storm tracking and intensity estimation in this region.

Additionally, the IBTRACS Best Track dataset, utilized by the bot for historical storm
tracking, exhibits increasingly poor quality control for data prior to 2000, especially outside
of the Western Hemisphere. This is largely due to the limited focus on reanalysis and
historical data improvements beyond the Atlantic Ocean, where much of the tropical cyclone
research has been concentrated.

Another critical gap exists in the availability of satellite imagery, especially pre-1978, due to
the delayed implementation of geostationary satellites. Before this, polar satellites like the
TIROS and NIMBUS series provided inconsistent and fragmented coverage between 1963
and 1977. Moreover, for the Western Pacific, there is a significant gap in reliable satellite
imagery between 1980 and 1997, particularly for use in the bot’s MCFETCH API. For the

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Indian Ocean, consistent satellite data was absent prior to 1998, leaving a substantial gap in
the ability to track and analyze tropical cyclones.

These limitations in historical data inputs introduce significant biases in the bot's calculations,
especially in the modules that rely on historical storm intensity and environmental data,
further impacting the overall accuracy and reliability of its outputs. This presents a challenge
for reconstructing accurate historical storm records and analyzing trends over time.

2.3 Objectives

● The bot is designed to enhance accessibility by providing easy access to

comprehensive Tropical Cyclone data. Often, such data is presented in complex and
difficult-to-read formats. The bot simplifies this information and transforms it into
user-friendly outputs, ensuring that even non-expert users can engage with the data
effectively.

● One of the bot’s key objectives is to promote storm awareness by increasing public
understanding of Tropical Cyclones. It does this by offering detailed environmental
and storm characteristic data, which goes beyond the information typically shared by
news outlets and social media. By providing a richer data set, the bot helps the public
gain a deeper understanding of storm behavior and environmental impacts.

● In line with the broader goal of data democratization, the bot aims to create a more
egalitarian platform for storm tracking and analysis. Detailed meteorological data,
which is often restricted to experts, is made accessible to both enthusiasts and the
general public, fostering greater participation and engagement.

● The bot also helps bridge the gap between official storm tracking agencies and the
public by simplifying the retrieval and sharing of detailed storm data. This seamless
connection ensures that critical information is more easily disseminated, helping
people stay informed.

● Furthermore, by leveraging modern social media platforms like Discord, the bot is
able to reach a broad audience and make storm data more readily accessible to people
in their everyday digital environments. This enhances the overall reach and impact of
the bot's services.

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2.4 Problem Statement

Tropical Cyclone tracking plays a crucial role in ensuring public safety, yet access to detailed
storm data is often restricted to official outlets and presented in formats that are complex and
difficult to interpret. Enthusiasts and the general public face significant challenges when
attempting to obtain real-time, granular information on storm environments and
characteristics. As a result, there exists a substantial knowledge gap, where deeper insights
into storm dynamics remain available only to experts who have access to specialized tools.

To address this issue, the development of a Discord bot has been initiated with the goal of
simplifying access to detailed storm data. This bot aims to make it easier for users to track
and understand Tropical Cyclones in real time. By integrating the bot with various
meteorological datasets, users will receive timely storm updates, visualizations, and critical
insights. The bot serves as a bridge between complex data sources and public awareness,
helping to enhance understanding of storm dynamics and improve preparedness during
cyclone events.

2.5 Project Plan

The original plan of process involved:

1. Approximately one month in preprocessing and setup of the necessary prerequisites
for the bot.
2. One and a half months in independent module implementation and testing.
3. One week for final integration and testing.
4. Preparation of document for submission tentatively in first week of November.

Fig. 1. Gantt chart

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 3. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

3.1 Requirements

3.1.1 Functional

1. Data Fetching and Processing:

The bot should be able to fetch meteorological data, including Sea Surface Temperature
(SST), from various data sources (e.g., NOAA, IBTrACS, NCEI, CIMSS, and API sources
like OrbNav and ATCF).
It must parse this data efficiently, handling formats such as JSON, CSV, and satellite imagery
files, possibly via APIs or web scraping (e.g., urllib3, BeautifulSoup).

2. Meteorological Analysis and Visualization:

The bot should generate weather-related visualizations, including:
● Storm Track Forecasts (cones of uncertainty, intensity forecasts) using matplotlib and
cartopy.
● SST Maps and passive microwave data processing, including custom colormaps and
smoothing.
● Annotate maps with key meteorological data such as date, time, and geographical
coordinates.

3. Command Execution:
The bot must provide a variety of commands, such as:
● smap: To fetch, process, and generate SST map images.
● atcf: Fetch ATCF storm data, decode it, and display storm details (including ID, name,
time, coordinates, winds, and pressure).
● Distance calculation between two coordinates using the Haversine formula.
● Enable users to request satellite data and storm information through these commands.

4. Storm Tracking:
The bot should track active storms, process API data (e.g., from the ATCF and OrbNav
APIs), and provide information such as storm position, intensity, and nature (tropical,
extratropical, etc.).

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 5. Error Handling and Data Validation:
The bot must validate data received from external sources and handle errors, including
missing variables, NaN values, and SSL certificate issues (as encountered with certain
sources like ATCF).
6. User Feedback and Interaction:
Provide informative responses to users on the outcome of each command (e.g., when a map
or storm data is successfully fetched or generated).
Notify users of potential data issues or unavailable datasets in a clear manner.
3.1.2 Non-Functional
1. Performance:
● The bot should handle requests quickly and process large datasets (e.g., satellite data,
storm tracking data) within a reasonable timeframe.
● Optimizations should be implemented for data-heavy operations like generating SST
maps and storm forecast plots to avoid delays during user interaction.

2. Scalability:
● The bot should be scalable to support a growing number of users and requests,
especially as meteorological datasets become larger and more complex.
● Ability to integrate more APIs and data sources as new features are added.

3. Reliability:
● Ensure high availability and uptime, so that the bot is consistently able to provide
meteorological data and responses to commands.
● Reliable error recovery mechanisms, such as retries on failed data fetches or handling
timeouts in HTTP requests.

4. Data Accuracy and Integrity:

● The bot must ensure that meteorological data is accurate and up to date, reflecting the
latest storm tracks, satellite readings, and other weather-related metrics.
● When making predictions (e.g., via the neural network), ensure that data inputs are
properly cleaned and standardized to maintain accuracy.

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 5. Usability:
● Commands should be intuitive and well-documented, allowing users with minimal
technical expertise to interact with the bot.
● Responses, such as storm details or visualizations, should be formatted clearly and
presented in a user-friendly manner on the Discord interface.

6. Security:
● The bot must securely handle external API calls and protect sensitive data (such as
API keys), especially when fetching information from multiple sources.
● Ensure that all HTTP requests, especially those with SSL certificate issues, are
managed securely to avoid vulnerabilities.

7. Maintainability:
● The codebase should be modular and well-documented to allow easy updates and the
integration of new features, such as adding new storm tracking sources or improving
existing visualization capabilities.
● Regular maintenance should be planned for data source updates, such as API changes
or the introduction of new satellite systems.

8. Extensibility:
The bot should be designed to accommodate future functionality, such as:
● The integration of machine learning models for storm intensity prediction.
● The ability to fetch additional data related to oceanographic variables like OHC or
MPI.
● Support for new plotting methods, data visualization, and weather models as the
project's scope expands.

9. Compatibility:
● The bot should function on various Discord platforms (desktop, mobile) without loss
of functionality.
● Ensure compatibility with Python libraries used for data processing, visualization, and
machine learning (e.g., xarray, matplotlib, tensorflow).

10. Legal and Ethical Considerations:

● Ensure that data used complies with licensing agreements and terms of service for
datasets and APIs (e.g., NOAA, IBTrACS).
● Prioritize transparency when providing predictions or analyses to avoid misinforming
users about potential storm impacts.
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3.2 Feasibility Study

3.2.1 Technical Feasibility

The bot is technologically feasible based on its integration of multiple APIs and data sources
like NOAA PSL, ECMWF ERA5, RyanKnack's ATCF API, and MCFETCH API. The bot
utilizes Python libraries such as matplotlib, cartopy, and xarray for data visualization and
analysis, which are highly capable of processing meteorological and satellite data.

● Scalability: The bot handles a variety of commands from SST mapping to satellite
pass data retrieval. It can be scaled by adding new features such as migrating to the
CDS API for windplot or adding more advanced analyses like MetPy integration for
atmospheric sounding.
● Performance: The bot relies on heavy computational tasks like plotting
high-resolution maps and running models such as exponential regression for landfall
degradation or environmental reanalysis, which require significant processing power
and memory. However, the bot is designed to handle real-time data efficiently by
using asynchronous calls with urllib3.
● Reliability: One challenge could be the reliance on external APIs and datasets, which
could result in downtime or errors if those services experience issues. However,
features like !atcfv2 provide backup solutions, enhancing reliability.
● Compatibility: The bot is built using standard Python libraries and is easily
deployable on Discord, making it accessible across different platforms.

3.2.2 Economic Feasibility

The bot is economically feasible as most of its core functionalities rely on open-source data
and libraries, minimizing costs.

● Initial Development Costs: Since the bot is already developed using Python and
libraries such as matplotlib, cartopy, and urllib3, no significant costs are associated
with the basic development phase other than time investment. The data sources (e.g.,
NOAA, ECMWF) are publicly accessible.
● Maintenance Costs: The primary ongoing costs would include server hosting for the
bot, which could range from low to moderate depending on the scale of user traffic

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 and data processing needs. If the bot is hosted on a cloud platform like AWS or
DigitalOcean, there could be monthly charges for storage and computation.
● API Costs: Currently, most APIs used (e.g., NOAA, RyanKnack's API) are free or
low-cost. However, if the bot begins to scale and demands more resources (e.g., more
API requests, larger datasets), it might be necessary to subscribe to paid plans.
● Potential Revenue: If the bot becomes widely used, it could be monetized through
premium features (e.g., advanced data analysis), ads, or partnerships with weather
data providers.

3.2.3 Social Feasibility

The bot demonstrates strong social feasibility, particularly in the meteorological and
storm-tracking communities.

● Target Audience: Meteorology enthusiasts, researchers, and storm trackers can

benefit from the bot’s ability to track tropical cyclones, provide satellite imagery, and
analyze weather conditions. The real-time updates and accurate data interpretation
make it attractive to those interested in weather forecasting.
● Community Engagement: The bot can integrate with Discord servers, providing a
user-friendly interface that fosters community interactions around storm-tracking
events. Features like !digty_image and !mcfetch allow users to engage with real-time
weather data, enhancing discussion and knowledge sharing.
● Educational Potential: The bot has the potential to serve as an educational tool,
offering detailed insights into storm development and environmental factors. Schools
or research groups could adopt the bot for educational purposes, raising awareness
about tropical cyclones and their impacts.
● Social Impact: The bot's ability to provide real-time data, such as RIPA for rapid
intensification and !land_degrade for post-landfall intensity forecasts, contributes
positively to disaster preparedness. It can help communities, researchers, and
decision-makers better understand and respond to tropical cyclones.

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3.2 System Specification

3.2.1 Hardware Specification

● Processor: Intel Core i5 or higher (or equivalent AMD Ryzen), with at least 4 cores
for handling multi-threaded data processing and real-time computations.
● Memory (RAM): 8 GB RAM minimum
● Storage: 500 GB SSD minimum, 1 TB recommended for storing meteorological data,
model outputs, and temporary datasets during operations.
● Graphics Processing Unit (GPU): Optimized to the point that even an integrated
GPU can run the
● Monitor: A laptop is enough to run the system.

3.2.2 Software Specification

Operating System:
Windows 10/11 or Linux (Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or higher) for compatibility with
Python-based development and server deployment.
Programming Languages:
Python (primary language) for development and implementation of bot commands,
data processing, and analysis; Bash scripting for Linux environment automation if
needed.
Development Environment:
Visual Studio Code with Python extension for development; Jupyter Notebooks for
data analysis and model testing.
Libraries and Frameworks:

● matplotlib and cartopy for generating visual plots and maps of storm tracks, wind
plots, and SST data.
● xarray for efficient handling of meteorological and satellite datasets.
● urllib3 for API requests and data fetching from external sources such as NOAA and
ECMWF.
● BeautifulSoup for web scraping data when APIs are unavailable.
● TensorFlow/PyTorch (optional) for machine learning models related to wind speed
predictions and rapid intensification forecasts.

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Database: (Optional)
NoSQL database like MongoDB for storing storm tracking data, API responses, and
processed storm imagery; SQLite for lightweight local data storage. Simply storing
the data in CSV format is more than enough.
Security Tools:
SSL encryption for API requests to ensure secure data transfer; OAuth 2.0 for Discord
bot authentication and user access control; Regular security patches and updates to
libraries and frameworks in use.

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 4. DESIGN APPROACH AND DETAILS

4.1 System Architecture

Fig. 2. System Architecture

The project consists of two main modules, a calculation module, and a Plot based module.
The calculation module will consist of three major submodules, those being Storm Tracking,
Dvorak based, and other miscellaneous calculations.
The plot module consists of 4 major modules, CIMSS (plots prepared by CIMSS), Best Track
Algorithm based plots using IBTRACS data, Custom based plots and other miscellaneous
data.
Some of the APIs and Datasets used for this project include:
1) IBTRACS
The International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTRACS) is a global dataset
of historical tropical cyclone tracks. It compiles data from multiple meteorological agencies,
including the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA),
and others, to provide a comprehensive record of tropical cyclones. IBTRACS contains
information such as storm intensity, location, and trajectory, but its quality control can vary,
particularly pre-2000, outside the Western Hemisphere.

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2) OISST
The Optimum Interpolation Sea Surface Temperature (OISST) is a high-resolution dataset
provided by NOAA. It integrates satellite observations, buoy data, and ship measurements to
provide daily estimates of sea surface temperature (SST). OISST is widely used in climate
research and for understanding ocean-atmosphere interactions, including tropical cyclone
formation and intensity.

3) ERSST
The **Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature (ERSST)** dataset is a global
monthly analysis of sea surface temperatures, designed for climate monitoring and research.
It reconstructs SST data using sparse historical observations, with adjustments for biases and
inconsistencies. ERSST Version 5 (ERSSTv5) is often used to study long-term trends in SST
and their connection to phenomena like El Niño and La Niña.

4) NOAA CPC's ENSO Dataset

The NOAA Climate Prediction Center (CPC) ENSO Dataset monitors the El Niño-Southern
Oscillation (ENSO), a climatic phenomenon involving periodic changes in sea surface
temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. ENSO influences global weather
patterns, including the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones. The dataset includes
indices like the Niño 3.4 index, which measures SST anomalies in the tropical Pacific.

5) NOAA CPC's PDO Dataset

The NOAA CPC’s Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) Dataset tracks the PDO, a long-term
ocean-atmosphere climate phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean. It involves shifts in sea surface
temperature patterns, similar to ENSO but operating over decades rather than years. The PDO
affects weather patterns in the North Pacific and is linked to changes in storm frequency and
intensity.

6) ECMWF ERAv5
The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA5 is a global
atmospheric reanalysis dataset that provides hourly estimates of atmospheric variables from
1950 onwards. ERA5 integrates historical observations with model-based forecasts, offering
high-resolution data on weather patterns, including wind speeds, sea-level pressure, and
oceanic conditions that are crucial for tropical cyclone analysis.

7) REMSS SMAP Dataset

The Remote Sensing Systems (REMSS) Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) dataset
provides measurements of sea surface salinity (SSS) using satellite data from the SMAP

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mission. SSS data helps in understanding ocean dynamics and the salinity structure of the
upper ocean, which plays a role in tropical cyclone formation and intensity. This dataset is
useful for oceanographic and meteorological research.

8)HURSAT Imagery
HURSAT (Hurricane Satellite) imagery is a dataset of satellite observations of tropical
cyclones, collected over several decades. It includes data from various polar-orbiting
satellites and geostationary satellites, providing imagery at different wavelengths (visible,
infrared, microwave). HURSAT allows researchers to study the evolution of storms, analyze
cloud structure, and estimate storm intensity.

9) MCFETCH API
The MCFETCH API is an API service designed to provide users with meteorological data
related to tropical cyclones. It likely pulls real-time or archived data from multiple sources,
providing storm details such as intensity, location, and environmental variables. The API is
integrated into the Discord bot to enhance storm tracking and analysis capabilities.

10) OrbNav API

The OrbNav API is an API that provides real-time satellite position data, which can be useful
for determining when and where specific satellites will pass over a geographic area of
interest. For tropical cyclone tracking, the OrbNav API is used to fetch satellite overpasses
that might provide valuable data about the storm environment, allowing users to access
satellite-based observations during storms.

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4.2 Design

4.2.1 Data Flow Diagram

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4.2.2 Use Case Diagram

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 5. REFERENCES
Weblinks:
1. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/satellite/smap
2. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/satellite/gridsat
3. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/satellite/avhrr-pathfinder
4. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/satellite/ascat
5. https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ibtracs/
6. https://www.ssec.wisc.edu/mcidas/mcidasv/
7. https://www.goes-r.gov/
8. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/ocean-heat-content
9. https://earthdata.nasa.gov/

Journals:
1. W. Wang, Z. Zhang, J. P. Cangialosi, M. Brennan, L. Cowan, P. Clegg, H. Takuya, I.
Masaaki, A. K. Das, M. Mohapatra, M. Sharma, J. A. Knaff, J. Kaplan, T. Birchard, J.
D. Doyle, J. Heming, J. Moskaitis, W. A. Komaromi, S. Ma, C. Sampson, L. Wu, and
E. Blake, "A review of recent advances (2018–2021) on tropical cyclone intensity
change from operational perspectives, part 2: Forecasts by operational centers,"
Tropical Cyclone Research and Review, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 50-63, 2023, doi:
10.1016/j.tcrr.2023.05.003.
2. K. F. Brueske and C. Velden, "Satellite-based tropical cyclone intensity estimation
using the NOAA-KLM series Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU)," Mon.
Wea. Rev., vol. 131, pp. 687-697, 2003.
3. J. Courtney and J. Knaff, "Adapting the Knaff and Zehr wind-pressure relationship for
operational use in Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres," Australian Meteorological and
Oceanographic Journal, vol. 58, pp. 167-179, 2009, doi: 10.22499/2.5803.002.
4. G. D. Atkinson and C. R. Holliday, "Tropical cyclone minimum sea level
pressure/maximum sustained wind relationship for the western North Pacific," Mon.
Wea. Rev., vol. 105, pp. 421–427, 1977, doi:
10.1175/1520-0493(1977)105<0421>2.0.CO;2.
5. NOAA Coral Reef Watch, NOAA Coral Reef Watch Version 3.1 Daily Global 5km
Satellite Coral Bleaching Degree Heating Week Product, College Park, MD, USA:
NOAA Coral Reef Watch, 2018.
6. L. Cheng, K. E. Trenberth, J. Fasullo, T. Boyer, J. Abraham, and J. Zhu, "Improved
estimates of ocean heat content from 1960 to 2015," Science Advances, vol. 3, no. 3,
p. e1601545, 2017.
7. M. Free, M. Bister, and K. Emanuel, "Potential intensity of tropical cyclones:
Comparison of results from radiosonde and reanalysis data," J. Climate, vol. 17, pp.
1722–1727, 2004, doi: 10.1175/1520-0442(2004)017<1722>2.0.CO;2.

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8. B. Huang, C. Liu, V. Banzon, E. Freeman, G. Graham, B. Hankins, T. Smith, and
H.-M. Zhang, "Improvements of the Daily Optimum Interpolation Sea Surface
Temperature (DOISST) Version 2.1," Journal of Climate, vol. 34, pp. 2923-2939,
2020, doi: 10.1175/JCLI-D-20-0166.1.
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