However, a storm can occasionally reach eastern Canada while still packing hurricane-strength winds. However, the storm was, technically, no longer a hurricane by that time. In Ontario, most of the damage from Hazel was caused by severe rainfall, with 200 millimetres falling in less than 24 hours. The rivers of Dufferin County, northwest of Toronto, experienced the worst flooding seen in 40 years. The greatest boost has come from weather satellites, which show a storm's precise location and allow tracking at 15-minute intervals.
Meteorologists are usually able to give several days warning before a hurricane strikes land.
In addition, scientists collect data from within the hurricane itself. The data from satellites, dropwindsones, and other sources are fed into powerful computers, which use mathematical models to simulate a storm's development. Forecasters then study the computer's output to plot a hurricane's expected path. We've made significant improvements. But that's only half the battle, he says.