Question about 'cane movements and plots

[Rieyeuxs]

This may sound like a stupid question, but I hope somebody can answer it for me.

I was under the assumption (yes I know what they say about assumptions) that hurricanes/TS were plotted were plotted by their centers of rotation.

My question is this, if a center reforms (as Alex may be trying to do, but this question really isn't about Alex) away from the previous center (Alex southward, more under the main convection) does the new center become the "movement" of the storm, or is it taken ad the storm as a whole?

If the center, eye, reforms in a different direction as the storm's directional movement, how do you determine storm direction?

[Hurricanehink]

I believe it is not the movement of the storm. I think if it was moving northward at 8 knots, and then it reforms to the south, it will still be going northward at 8 knots. It's not a stupid question. We're all here to learn

[wxman57]

Not stupid at all. It's not called a movement, but a "relocation". Tropical cyclones are relocated quite frequently, particularly those with poorly-defined centers like Alex. Sometimes a weak, detached center will just die out and a new center will form under heavier squalls. But don't confuse this with storm motion.