A hurricane is an area of intense low pressure. They are enormous, tropical storms, swirling air that's miles across. Some would describe it as a giant tornado - but that's not very technical - at all! To be a hurricane it has to have reached a constant speed of 74 miles per hour or more.
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| A hurricane from space |
How do they happen? Forming.
They form over warm, tropical seas when the temperature is over 27 degrees C. They begin as clusters of thunderstorms. Hurricanes happen over warm, moist areas of water. As the moisture evaporates it creates a swirling, heated mass that reaches high into the sky. They circle counter clockwise North of the equator or clockwise South of the equator. The hurricane's source of power is the warm moisture. When a hurricane passes over land or cool water it looses it's source of power and the winds gradually slow down.
So what's a typhoon? Other names for hurricanes.
- Tropical Cyclones - South East Asia
- Typhoons - Asia
- Willy Willies - Australia
What do hurricanes do? Impacts.
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| Aftermath of hurricane Katrina |
Every year hurricanes kill more than 20,000 people. Worldwide that is more than any other form of natural disaster. They can cause loss of lives, damage to buildings and businesses. Communities suffer destruction of churches, schools, hospitals and other community buildings. The storms can push waters onto land causing mass floods. These are called storm surges. Storm surges cause 90% of hurricane related deaths.
When do they happen? Seasons.
Hurricane season is from about August to October. Although it varies around the world.
How are hurricanes named? Names.
Hurricanes are named from a long alphabetical list. They go down the lists naming each hurricane as it happens. If the hurricane kills a person then the name is never used again for a hurricane.
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| Path of a hurricane |
What other related sites are there? Interesting Links
- Track hurricanes across the world: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26295161/ns/weather/t/hurricane-tracker/
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