adminA hurricane is a large, dangerous storm that forms in the tropics. It has very high winds and rain that can cause flooding, and it can cause damage to homes, buildings and power lines. It can also cause a monster storm surge, which is when the wind and low air pressure of a hurricane pushes ocean water inland. Hurricanes can also cause tornadoes.
Hurricanes are immense systems that are difficult to predict. The speed and track of a hurricane depends on many factors, including sea surface temperatures, the availability of moisture in the atmosphere and its distance from the equator. The direction and strength of a hurricane’s eye can also change.
The ingredients of a hurricane are:
The first ingredient is warm ocean waters. Hurricanes require a threshold temperature of about 79 degrees Fahrenheit in order to form. The warm water fuels the storm and keeps it growing stronger.
If the water is cooler than this threshold, a hurricane will lose its strength and dissipate. The second ingredient is the Coriolis force, which creates a counterclockwise rotation of the Earth. The force is at a maximum at the poles and a minimum near the equator. Hurricanes can only form in areas where there is minimal Coriolis effect.
Other ingredients are low vertical wind shear, which is a change in wind speed with altitude, and strong upper level winds that disturb the airflow over the storm. If there is too much wind shear, the storm’s structure will break down and it will not develop into a hurricane.
