What is a hurricane?

Question

Please answer these in terms that aren't heaps techinacal and easy to understand:
1. What is a hurricane?
2. Little bit of general info about hurricanes?
3. Why do we have hurricanes?
4. Which areas of the world are most affected?

Answer 1

First of all, let me debunk a couple of things said in prior answers. Northern Hemisphere tropical cyclones have winds that rotate COUNTER-CLOCKWISE, not clockwise. Southern Hemisphere is CLOCKWISE.

Also, a bath drain has nothing to do with a hurricane's rotation. A bathtub drains a certain direction due to its center of balance and angle of incidence. It has NOTHING to do with Coriolis or which hemisphere it is in. That is the biggest false myth in weather.

Now to answer your questions:
1. A hurricane is a tropical system with winds of over 74 mph or about 120 kmh.

2. Hurricanes form as a low pressure system over warm waters in the tropics initially. The warm water provides a fueling mechanism as the moist air rises and condenses. The low subsequently gains strength and becomes a tropical storm with stronger winds. A hurricane then follows what is known as a steering current based on the winds at numerous levels of the atmosphere. If the winds are too strong they can "shear out" a storm by reducing its organization. There are lots more to learn about hurricanes. As a previous answer stated, go to NOAA and read up on the things.

3. Hurricanes are just one way the atmosphere distributes its energy. Everything tries to balance itself, and with such a large area of potential energy built up something has to release it. Generally speaking, the warmer the waters in the tropics, the more likely the hurricane season will be active.

4. Hurricanes can affect Central America (Felix), Mexico, all Caribbean islands, the Gulf coast of the U.S. (Texas to Florida), and the east coast generally from Florida to New England. Other parts of the world also see hurricanes, expect they are called typhoons or cyclones. Typhoons often hit east Asia with Japan, China and Taiwan getting several storms each year. In fact, a typhoon is currently bearing down on Japan (Tokyo). Cyclones develop in the S. Hemisphere and can affect India, the Arabian Sea region, SE Africa, and north Australia. On rare occassions, a storm can hit unusual places such as Catarina in 2004 hitting Brazil, and a 2005 storm hitting Portugal.

Answer 2

A hurricane is a CIRCULATING STORM, which is to say that winds circulate as what occurs when bathwater drains. The center or eye of the hurricane is quite serene while the rush of wind around the outside can reach very high speeds. The cause of this WEATHER SYSTEM has to do with high and low pressure areas and the hurricane is "fueled" by the heat in the oceans...typhoons and cyclones are hurricanes when they happen in the Far East and in parts of Asia such as India. After a hurricane occurs (as in the Caribbean, Southern U.S. or Central America) water and electricity are usually shut down, many trees are uprooted, and glass widows which were not boarded up are cracked or broken due to the air pressure. The rush of winds sound like a high speed train! Sometimes tornadoes "spin off" due to the circulation of the hurricane, and do local damage as well. Once you have experienced a hurricane, such as Andrew (1992), which happed to me in Miami, you do not forget it.

Answer 3

A hurricane is a whole bunch of really fast twisting wind, like a tornado, but much more powerful and much much bigger. Hurricanes are caused my cold air and hot air and all this weird scientific stuff... Florida has them sometimes, and over the pacific ocean. By the way, on the western hemisphere, it's called a hurricane, and the wind spins clockwise- in the eastern hemisphere, it's called a cyclone, and spins anti clockwise. Same storm, different name, just different spinning directions.

Answer 4

stable question, Fonzie (and you're suitable, Earl grew to become into no pearl of a hurricane by using the time he drew on the element of New England!) How approximately those: hurricane Spiro - rejected because of the fact it could be merely a nattering nabob of negativity hurricane gasoline Guzzler - rejected because of the fact every time forecasters tried to apply the call, the hurricane ran out of gasoline hurricane Aesop - by using nature, Hurricanes have no morals hurricane Schwarzenegger - top, a hurricane is merely called a hurricane if it originated in the Tropics Edit: whats up Vapor Trails!!

Answer 5

(1)Hurricane is a well-developed low pressure system with a circular whirling motion of rapidly moving air currents exceeding 120 Kmph in speed.The diameter of the system may vary from 200 to 500 miles or sometimes even more depending upon the intensity.
(2)The centre will be calm and rainless.The diameter of the centre may vary from 20 to 50 miles.At the centre, a very low pressure will be encountrred.The wind will rotate in an anti-clockwise direction around the centre in the Northern Henisphere.These storms form over the oceans between the latitudes 10 degrees and 30 degrees N and S,along the inter tropical convergence zone This inter tropical convergence zone is the place where the tropical air masses from the northern and southern hemispheres meet.These revolving storms are known as hurricanes in America,typhoons in China,Japan and Phillipines,cyclones in India and willy-willies in Australia.They do not develop closer than 7 degree latitude to the equator as the deflective force of the earth's motion(called coriolis force) is very weak here.This force only introduces the whirling motion to the hurricane.
(3)The main reason for the development of these storms is the differential heating of the sea waters as well as land areas.Because of this, low and high pressure areas are developed over land and sea.The low pressure system thus formed over sea intensifies and becomes hurricanes under favourable conditions.
These favourable conditions are as follows:
(a)Warm ocean surface(atleast 26.5 degree celcius)upto a depth of atleast 50 metres.(b)Steep lapse rate(decrease of temperature with height).That means the atmosphere over the place should be unstable.(c) warm,moist air upto a height of atleast 5 Kms.(d) A minimum distance of 600 Kms from the equator(e)A pre-existing disturbance near the surface with sufficient vorticity and convergence to trigger the development and (f) Absence of vertical wind shear(sudden change of wind direction with height).
(4)In the Northern Hemisphere they usually form over the western Atlantic,Western Pacific,East coast of Penisular India and west Pacific ocean near Australia in the Southern Hemisphere.
The energy of the hurricane is derived from the latent heat of condensation of the ascending moist air.Hence when they cross the shore ,the moisture source is cut off and the storm weakens.

Answer 6

There's a lot to read here, but everything you want or need to know can be found on the National Hurricane Center's site: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

If you're a newbie to hurricanes, you might want to start with the FAQ's on the menu on the left.

Answer 7

google NOAA or type NOAA then a . and then gov in your browser. NOAA is a federal agency focused on the condition of the oceans and the atmosphere. There is lots onf information on hurricanes there. That's NOAA dot gov. But make it a web address. This is from the USA.
Also google Hurricane Katrina. That was America's tsunami.
That's the ticket! Hurricanes are like tsunamis!

Answer 8

Basically its a tornado with water! :)