NOAA'S hurricane intensity forecasting experiment: A progress report

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) started a multiyear experiment called the Intensity Forecasting Experiment (IFEX). IFEX was conducted to improve the prediction of tropical cyclone (TC) intensity. There were three primary goals proposed by IFEX to improve TC intensity predictions, such as collecting observations that spanned the TC life cycle in a variety of environments for model initialization and evaluation, developing and refining measurement strategies and technologies that provided improved real-time monitoring of TC intensity, structure, and environment; and improving the understanding of physical processes important in intensity change for a TC at all stages of its life cycle. NOAA worked jointly with weather forecasting agencies and organizations to fly IFEX aircraft missions every year from 2005 for accurate TC intensity predictions.