How Hurricanes Form and Die

• low air pressure
• warm temperatures
• moist ocean air
• tropical winds (near the equator).

A hurricane goes through many stages as it develops:

1. It starts as a tropical wave, a westward-moving area of low air pressure.
2. As the warm, moist air over the ocean rises in the low air pressure area, cold air from above replaces it. This produces strong gusty winds, heavy rain and thunderclouds that is called a tropical disturbance.
3. As the air pressure drops and there are sustained winds up to 38 miles per hour, it is called a tropical depression.
4. When the cyclonic winds have sustained speeds from 39 to 73 miles per hour, it is called a tropical storm (storms are given names when they begin to have winds of this speed).
5. The storm becomes a hurricane when there are sustained winds of over 73 miles per hour.

Hurricanes

Introduction to Hurricanes

How Hurricanes Form

Naming Hurricanes

Hurricane Structure

Hurricane Classification

Tracking Hurricanes

Preparing for a Hurricane

Landfall, Storm Surges

Hurricane Activities

Hurricane Glossary

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