A hurricane sucks heat from tropical ocean waters to fuel its fury. These powerful storms can damage buildings, rip off roofs, and throw boats around like toys. They are named by scientists after the region of the world where they occur, but all tropical cyclones are alike in that they form over warm ocean waters. Winds in a hurricane rotate in a circular pattern and surround a calm, clear center called the eye. The winds also churn the water, creating rainbands that can pound inland areas with torrential rain.
When a storm threatens, people in coastal communities usually get days of warning as it moves toward them. This allows them to evacuate if necessary and prepare for the storm. But climate change is making hurricanes worse—they’re getting stronger more quickly, and they’re weakening less when they hit land.
The five ingredients for a hurricane:
The first ingredient is pre-existing weather disturbances, such as thunderstorm complexes. The second is ocean temperatures that provide the energy to power the hurricane. The third is humidity that provides the moisture for rainfall. The fourth is low wind shear, which hampers the development of the hurricane’s inner core by inhibiting thunderstorm activity and limiting vertical updrafts. The fifth ingredient is dry air at the mid levels of the atmosphere, which stifles thunderstorm formation and reduces humidity. Without these conditions, the storm will dissipate or weaken. But even a moderate-sized storm can cause flooding and mudslides.
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