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What Are Hurricanes?
NASA studies hurricanes to learn how they form and to better predict where they will go. Image Credit: NASA
Hurricanes are large, swirling storms. They produce winds of 119 kilometers per hour (74 mph) or higher. That's faster than a cheetah, the fastest animal on land. Winds from a hurricane can damage buildings and trees.
Hurricanes form over warm ocean waters. Sometimes they strike land. When a hurricane reaches land, it pushes a wall of ocean water ashore. This wall of water is called a storm surge. Heavy rain and storm surge from a hurricane can cause flooding.
Once a hurricane forms, weather forecasters predict its path. They also predict how strong it will get. This information helps people get ready for the storm.
There are five types, or categories, of hurricanes. The scale of categories is called the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. The categories are based on wind speed.
Category 1: Winds 119-153 km/hr (74-95 mph) -- faster than a cheetah
Category 2: Winds 154-177 km/hr (96-110 mph) -- as fast or faster than a baseball pitcher's fastball
Hurricanes form over warm ocean waters. Sometimes they strike land. When a hurricane reaches land, it pushes a wall of ocean water ashore. This wall of water is called a storm surge. Heavy rain and storm surge from a hurricane can cause flooding.
Once a hurricane forms, weather forecasters predict its path. They also predict how strong it will get. This information helps people get ready for the storm.
There are five types, or categories, of hurricanes. The scale of categories is called the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. The categories are based on wind speed.
Category 1: Winds 119-153 km/hr (74-95 mph) -- faster than a cheetah
Category 2: Winds 154-177 km/hr (96-110 mph) -- as fast or faster than a baseball pitcher's fastball
Category 3: Winds 178-209 km/hr (111-130 mph) -- similar, or close, to the serving speed of many professional tennis players
Category 4: Winds 210-249 km/hr (131-155 mph) -- faster than the world's fastest rollercoaster
Category 5: Winds more than 259 km/hr (155 mph) -- similar, or close, to the speed of some high-speed trains
The eye of Hurricane Dean is shown as it moved through the Caribbean. Image Credit: NASA
What Makes Hurricanes Form?
Scientists don't know exactly why or how a hurricane forms. But they do know that two main ingredients are needed.
One ingredient is warm water. Warm ocean waters provide the energy a storm needs to become a hurricane. Usually, the surface water temperature must be 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher for a hurricane to form.
The other ingredient is winds that don't change much in speed or direction as they go up in the sky. Winds that change a lot with height can rip storms apart.
Scientists don't know exactly why or how a hurricane forms. But they do know that two main ingredients are needed.
One ingredient is warm water. Warm ocean waters provide the energy a storm needs to become a hurricane. Usually, the surface water temperature must be 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher for a hurricane to form.
The other ingredient is winds that don't change much in speed or direction as they go up in the sky. Winds that change a lot with height can rip storms apart.
Warm water in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean during the late summer months helps to fuel hurricanes. Image Credit: NASA
How Are Hurricanes Named?
There can be more than one hurricane at a time. This is one reason hurricanes are named. Names make it easier to keep track of and talk about storms.
A storm is given a name if it becomes a tropical storm. That name stays with the storm if it goes on to become a hurricane. (Tropical disturbances and depressions don't have names.)
Each year, tropical storms are named in alphabetical order. The names come from a list of names for that year. There are six lists of names. Lists are reused every six years. If a storm does a lot of damage, its name is sometimes taken off the list. It is then replaced by a new name that starts with the same letter.
There can be more than one hurricane at a time. This is one reason hurricanes are named. Names make it easier to keep track of and talk about storms.
A storm is given a name if it becomes a tropical storm. That name stays with the storm if it goes on to become a hurricane. (Tropical disturbances and depressions don't have names.)
Each year, tropical storms are named in alphabetical order. The names come from a list of names for that year. There are six lists of names. Lists are reused every six years. If a storm does a lot of damage, its name is sometimes taken off the list. It is then replaced by a new name that starts with the same letter.
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Purnima_R A doubt with hurricane naming.. i heard that hurricanes are given female names.. is it true?