Which U.S. agency issues official tropical cyclone forecasts for the Atlantic basin?

The U.S. agency that issues official tropical cyclone forecasts for the Atlantic basin is the National Hurricane Center.

The National Hurricane Center, or NHC, is part of NOAA’s National Weather Service and is based in Miami, Florida. Its Hurricane Specialist Unit monitors tropical disturbances, depressions, storms, and hurricanes in the North Atlantic and issues outlooks, advisories, track forecasts, watches, and warnings.

The NHC’s Atlantic area of responsibility includes the North Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. Forecast products help emergency managers, governments, mariners, airlines, and the public understand a storm’s expected track, intensity, hazards, and uncertainty.

The agency is sometimes confused with the World Meteorological Organization, which coordinates international standards and hurricane-name lists, or the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, which supports U.S. military operations and focuses on regions outside the NHC’s primary responsibility. Environment Canada provides Canadian weather services, but it is not the U.S. agency responsible for official Atlantic tropical-cyclone forecasts.