They are, without a doubt, one of the most spectacular and destructive meteorological phenomena. Also known as cyclones and typhoons, hurricanes are nothing more than storms that originate in the oceans , usually in late summer. For its gestation, at least three factors must converge: that the water temperature is higher than 28 ºC, so that its evaporation and condensation occurs in upper layers; that evaporation generates a center of low pressure and that the trade winds bring cold air into the upper layers of the atmosphere.
Hurricanes are meteorological phenomena that absorb heat from tropical waters to fuel their fury . These storms are called by other names, such as typhoons or cyclones, depending on where they occur, but the scientific term for all these storms is tropical cyclone. Only tropical cyclones that form over the Atlantic Ocean or the eastern Pacific Ocean are called “hurricanes.”
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States, NOAA, and violent storms Stas form over the ocean, in an area of low pressure moving through the moisture – rich tropics. As this weather system moves west through the tropics, warm ocean air rises into the storm, forming an area of low pressure just below. This brings in more air, which rises and cools, forming clouds and thunderstorms.
As the storm system spins faster and faster, an eye forms in the center. The truth is that the eye of the hurricane is a very calm and clear place, with very low air pressure. High pressure air from above flows into the eye.
When the wind speed within a storm reaches 119 km / h, it is classified as a hurricane (remember that in 2015 Hurricane Patricia produced winds of up to 250 km / h, becoming the strongest winds ever recorded). During a hurricane, strong winds can produce roughly half as much energy as the world’s electrical generating capacity, while the formation of clouds and rain from the same storm could release 400 times that amount.
When the winds in the rotating storm reach 62 km / h, the storm is called a “tropical storm.” And when the wind speed reaches 119 km / h, the storm is officially a “tropical cyclone” or hurricane.
Tropical cyclones generally weaken when they make landfall, because they are no longer being “fueled” by energy from the warm ocean waters . However, they tend to move inland, dumping a lot of rain and causing a lot of wind damage before they are completely extinguished.
Hurricanes are very destructive and strong and leave massive devastation in their wake , so when a hurricane hits, the ideal is to be far from where the storm is coming from. If you are in an area where hurricanes are common, it might be a very good idea to cover all the windows (i.e., install permanent storm blinds) in the house. If an evacuation is ordered, there is no need to fuss. We must do it. If you do not have shelter and there is no evacuation order, it is recommended to get into a closet or small room without windows and stay away from structures that have glass, advises NOAA.
Where do hurricanes form?
Since hurricanes need some specific factors to form, they can only arise in certain areas of the world. They usually form in tropical waters north or south of the equator, where the waters are warm. In the Atlantic hurricane basin, these storms typically begin with a disturbance off the west coast of Africa. Also known as the North Atlantic Basin, this region includes the North Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico.
There are different seasons for Atlantic and Pacific hurricanes. Hurricane season in the Atlantic runs from June 1 to November 30. The peak of the hurricane season generally occurs in September. Hurricane season in the eastern Pacific begins on May 15 and ends on November 30.
