What are hurricanes?
Hurricanes are severe tropical storms that has very hard rain and extremely strong winds. These winds can exceed 74 miles per hour.
How do they form?
For a hurricane to form, they need five things. First, they need warm ocean water that is about 80F. This provides energy and more evaporation which makes humid air and clouds. Second, they need two winds coming together which forces the air upward. Third, the wind flows outward above the storm which allows the air bellow to come up. Four, humid air creates the storm clouds. The final element that the hurricane needs is, for light winds from outside to guide the storm and help it grow much bigger.
Where do most hurricanes occur?
The hurricanes occur most in warm areas of the planet known as the tropical convergence zone. In the North hemisphere, they occur during the months of June all the way through November. In the Southern hemisphere, they occur during December to May.
What kind of damage do hurricanes cause?
Winds:
The winds are strong enough to uproot trees, flip cars, and blow houses off their foundations.
Flooding or Storm Surges:
Hurricanes can cause mass flooding or storm surges. A storm surge is when the ocean level is high and which floods the area. A storm surge is caused when the wind pushes the water over the land.
Tornadoes:
A hurricane can also cause a tornado. These are found close to the eye wall of the hurricane. The tornadoes usually occur in heavy rain which makes it very difficult to track. More info on tornadoes
Other information on hurricanes:
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