A shallow water spectral wave prediction model based on a numerical solution of the radiative transfer equation is presented. The model is second generation and uses a simple yet effective representation for the nonlinear source term. In addition, the model pays particular attention to the shallow water processes of refraction, shoaling, bottom friction, and wave breaking. The flexibility of the model is demonstrated by an intercomparison with field data from a number of tropical cyclones. The turning winds from such storms provide a demanding test of model physics. The comparisons are in both deep and shallow water. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1988