What is Hurricanes ? | Hurricanes (Tropical Cyclones) Types, Definition, Structure, Function & Facts
What is a Hurricane?
A hurricane is a large revolving storm with high-speed winds that forms over warm waters in tropical regions. The storm maintained winds of at least 74 miles per hour and an area of low air pressure in the center known as the eye.
Different Names for Hurricanes
The scientific name of the storm is tropical cyclone. Tropical storms have different names in different places. In North America and the Caribbean they are called “hurricanes”, in the Indian Ocean they are called “cyclones”, and in Southeast Asia they are called “typhoons”.
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How do Hurricanes Form?
Hurricanes form over warm ocean waters in the tropics. As warm, moist air rises above the water, it is replaced by cooler air. The colder air will then heat up and begin to rise. This cycle produces huge storm clouds. These storm clouds will begin to rotate with the Earth’s rotation forming an organized system. If there is enough warm water, the cycle will continue and storm clouds and wind speeds will increase causing a storm to form.
Parts of a Hurricane
Eye – At the center of the storm is the eye. The eye is an area of very low barometric pressure. Usually there are no clouds in the eyes and the wind is calm. Make no mistake, though, the most dangerous part of a hurricane is at the edge of the eye, called the eye wall.
Eye wall – Around the outside of the eye is a very heavy wall of clouds. This is the most dangerous part of the storm and where the winds are the fastest. Eyewall winds can reach speeds of 155 miles per hour.
Rainbands – Storms have large, spiraling bands of rain known as rain bands. These bands can produce huge amounts of rain that cause flooding when storms make landfall.
Diameter – Hurricanes can become large hurricanes. The diameter of the storm is measured from side to side. Hurricanes can extend over 600 miles in diameter.
Height – The storm clouds that power storms can be very tall. A strong storm can reach nine miles in the atmosphere.
Where do Tropical Cyclones occur?
Tropical cyclones occur over the ocean in areas near the equator. This is because there is plenty of warm water in these areas to create conditions for hurricanes to form. Seven major regions of the world tend to generate tropical cyclones.
When do Hurricanes occur?
Hurricanes that form in the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean occur between June 1st and November 30th each year. This is called hurricane season.
Why are Hurricanes dangerous?
When hurricanes make landfall, they can cause enormous damage. Much of the damage was caused by floods and high tides. High tide occurs when sea level rises on the coast due to storm power. Hurricanes are also devastating with high-speed winds that can topple trees and damage homes. Multiple hurricanes can also develop into multiple small tornadoes.
How are Hurricane named?
Atlantic hurricanes are named based on a list of names maintained by the World Meteorological Organization. The names go in alphabetical order and the storms are named as they appear. As such, the first storm of the year will always have a name that begins with the letter “A”. There are six lists of names and a new list is used each year.
Categories
Tropical cyclones are classified according to sustained wind speed.
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- Tropical Depression – 38 mph or less
- Tropical Storm – 39 to 73 mph
Hurricane
- Class 1 – 74 to 95 mph
- Class 2 – 96 to 110 mph
- Class 3 – 111 to 129 mph
- Class 4 – 130 to 156 mph
- Class 5 – 157 or higher mph
Interesting Facts about Hurricanes
Hurricanes rotate counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. This is due to the rotation of the Earth known as the Coriolis effect.
The letters Q, U, X, Y, Z are not used as initials when naming storms.
The first names were alternated between boy and girl names.
Meteorologists draw a cone indicating where they think the storm is most likely to move.