What is an "Invest"?
When a National Hurricane Center forecaster sees a tropical disturbance that may be a threat to develop into a tropical depression, the forecaster may label the disturbance an "Invest" and give it a tracking identification number. There is no formal definition of what qualifies as an "Invest". Declaring an "Invest" is merely done so that a set of forecasting aids like computer model track forecasts can be generated for the disturbance. The "Invest" is given a number 90-99, followed by a single letter corresponding to the ocean basin--"L" for the Atlantic.[source]

Tropical Depression - 38 mph (33 kt or 62 km/hr) or less.
Tropical Storm - 39-73 mph (34-63 kt or 63-118 km/hr).
Category 1 Hurricane - 74-95 mph (64-82 kt or 119-153 km/hr).
Category 2 Hurricane - 96-110 mph (83-95 kt or 154-177 km/hr).
Category 3 Hurricane - 111-130 mph (96-113 kt or 178-209 km/hr).
Category 4 Hurricane - 131-155 mph (114-135 kt or 210-249 km/hr).
Category 5 Hurricane - greater than 155 mph (135 kt or 249 km/hr).

Welcome to the ClientSide Productions TropicWatch Beta! Please be aware that this is a "Beta" release. This means you may run into a bug here and there. If you have questions, comments, or wish to report a bug, contact us.

What is TropicWatch?
TropicWatch is an aggregator of information relating to current Atlantic Ocean tropical activity. It was intended to be the one-stop-shop for the most up-to-date information on current storms. In order to get the most up-to-date information, this page will update every ten minutes, during which the site is taken offline. Hopefully TropicWatch helps you keep tabs on the tropics.

Sources: Please prepare yourself in case a Tropical System comes your way. The American Red Cross has information about steps to take to prepare your family in case a storm threatens you.
Coding and Layout © ClientSide Productions 2008-10 — All weather data presented is in the public domain and is thus not copyright protected.