Jeff George/FPREN chief meteorologist

The United Stated Air Force accomplishes hundreds of flying missions across the world every day. But one flight has a purpose like no other.

The Hurricane Hunters of Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi fly dozens of missions into tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and the central Pacific for the National Hurricane Center. They gather critical weather data that is used to create critically important computer models and weather outlooks.

The Hurricane Hunters provide surveillance of tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the central Pacific Ocean for the National Hurricane Center. The unit also flies other missions during the hurricane “off-season” to investigate winter storms off both coasts of the U.S.

As Hurricane Earl continues tracking northeast and farther away from the U.S., three other tropical systems are forecast to move out of the eastern Atlantic through early next week.

Four areas of tropical development are still being monitored in the Atlantic basin. Of highest interest is a broad area of low pressure over the central tropical Atlantic.

Four areas of tropical development are now being monitored in the Atlantic basin.