[3][4] At this time the center was one of three Navy and two Air Force units responsible for tropical cyclone reconnaissance and warnings in the Pacific.

[3] Over the next few years the coordination of tropical warnings between the centers was at times difficult or impossible due to various communication problems.

[5] It was required to provide warnings on all tropical cyclones between the Malay Peninsula and the International Dateline for U.S. government agencies.

[5] They also had to determine reconnaissance requirements, prepare annual typhoon summaries, and conduct research into tropical cyclone forecasting and detection.

The JTWC subsequently started issuing warnings for the Southern Hemisphere between the African coast and the International Dateline during October 1980.

[8] In case of debilitation of the agency, the Alternative Joint Typhoon Warning Center (AJTWC) assumes JTWC's functions.

[1] The JTWC uses several satellite systems and sensors, radar, surface and upper level synoptic data as well as atmospheric models to complete its mission.

[12] JTWC adheres to the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) rules for storm names and adheres to acknowledged guidelines for intensity of tropical cyclones and tropical storms, with the exception of using the U.S. standard of measuring sustained winds for 1-min instead of the 10-min span recommended by the WMO (see Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale).

The JTWC is not one of the WMO designated Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres, nor one of its Tropical cyclone warning centers,[14] as its main mission is to support the United States government agencies.

Elsewhere of the agency's responsibility area, all systems with a wind speed of at least 34 knots (63 km/h) are labeled as "Tropical Cyclone", regardless of the estimated intensity.

Additionally, the JTWC may issue a relocated warning to indicate a significant re-assessment of the tropical cyclone's location and movement.

The former section includes details on the position and intensity of the system, the satellite imagery, the steering mechanism of the system, and the environment the cyclone is in (covering vertical wind shear, sea surface temperature, and outflow) and forecaster assessment, as well as the confidence of the position, intensity, and wind radii.

The forecast path is depicted as either a rectangle with a centerline—indicating that the invest would follow along the centerline—or a circle around the disturbance's current position—indicating uncertainty of its future direction.

Details highlight significant challenges and/or shortfalls in the tropical cyclone warning system and serve as a focal point for future research and development efforts.