Hurricanes

When one starts recalling names of all the destructive forces of nature, the one name that often comes on top of our minds is a hurricane. Every year, million of dollars in property and many human lives are lost due to the havoc that hurricanes unleash. Just like storms, hurricanes have the potential to destroy everything that comes in their way. In case you wish to more about hurricanes then read on as we explain how it is formed, when it is formed and how it is different from a typhoon.

What Is A Hurricane?

Hurricane can be best defined as a huge storm that has the potential to rise up to 600miles across at a speed of 75 to 200 mph. Generally, hurricanes last around a week with a speed range of around 10 to 20 miles per hour over the open oceans. These storms first collect heat and energy by coming in contact with warm ocean waters and then rotate with immense speed and pressure in a counter-clockwise direction around an eye.

How Are Hurricanes Formed?

Hurricanes are not formed in just one day; it typically takes few days to form these storms. These storms are formed over really warm ocean water of 80°F or even warmer. The higher you go, the atmosphere cools off quickly. Moreover, for a proper hurricane formation, the wind must be blowing in the same direction at the same speed to make the air blow upwards from the ocean surface. Most hurricanes are typically formed between 5 to 15 degrees latitude north and south of the equator.

What Is The Hurricane Season?

Now that you know what hurricanes are really like and how they are formed, you must be curious to know when these hurricanes take place. There is a particular season when hurricanes start.

• Usually the Atlantic Hurricane Season lasts between June 1 and November 30. Majority of Hurricanes take place in the fall months.
• On the other hand, Eastern Pacific Hurricane season starts from May 15 and lasts up to end of November.

How Is A Hurricane Different From A Typhoon?

Often, due to lack of knowledge, people mistake typhoons as hurricanes. However, the truth is that both these things are different. The same storms that take place in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and the Eastern Pacific Ocean are called Hurricanes. While in the Western Pacific Ocean, they are referred to as Typhoons. Moreover, the same storms taking place in the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and Australia is called as Cyclones.

How Are Hurricanes Named?

Earlier in a period from 1950 – 1952, hurricanes are identified by the phonetic alphabets like Able-Baker-Charlie-etc. The trend changed in 1953 when the US Weather Bureau started naming hurricanes on women’s names. Women’s names for hurricanes were used until 1979. At present, the naming rights for hurricanes are with the World Meteorological Organization. An important to know is that when a hurricane causes significant damage, its name is replaced with another hurricane.