Irene Approaches; Weather Sites Are Ready

hurricane-irene

A satellite image of Hurricane Irene as it gathers strength in the Atlantic. (Image: NOAA)

As Hurricane Irene grows and strengthens over the warm waters of the Carribean, forecasters are predicting a northward storm path that could entail hurricane force winds and rain over much of the coastal area of the Eastern United States. With Irene's projected hit on major population centers in the metropolitan areas of the East Coast, huge numbers of people are turning to websites for information and predictions of the storm track.

This storm is expected to be one of 7 to 10 hurricanes (top winds of 39 mph or higher) this season, according to NOAA information released in early August when it raised the number of named storms and hurricanes expected this year.

Last year, Data Center Knowledge spoke to major weather websites about how they keep serving up content during peak loads - Weather Sites Gird for Hurricanes -  such as Hurricane Irene. The Weather Channel, Storm Pulse and the National Hurricane Center are all geared up, just as citizens are evacuating the Carolinas or are getting emergency supplies to hunker down and be ready for the potential storm hit.