Hurricanes are devastating storms with unimaginable ferocity. Their destructive force must be respected as one hurricane alone has the energy equivalent of 10 atomic bombs every second!
There is so much to know about hurricanes! From their name’s roots to how they shape weather patterns, this comprehensive list of facts about hurricanes will surprise and delight.
1. Hurricanes are made up of water
Hurricanes are large storms that form over the ocean. Fuelled by water vapor, hurricanes draw strength from this source to fuel their strength and power. Hurricanes have the capacity to produce extremely high winds speeds which can damage homes and structures as well as massive waves which cause flooding or snap off tree branches.
Hurricanes can be deadly, yet also fascinating natural phenomenons. Hurricanes consist of an air mass made up of swirling air that’s fuelled by warm and moist air vapor; then it is propelled by Coriolis Force which causes it to rotate, creating what is known as an eye of a hurricane and surrounding it with bands of rain with intense winds known as feeder bands.
First is a weather disturbance like a thunderstorm; secondly is warm water from either the Atlantic or Pacific oceans sucking up heat energy from the atmosphere, creating moisture. With enough heat energy being extracted by this warm water source and moisture being produced in the atmosphere, a thunderstorm can grow into a hurricane with appropriate conditions.
Hurricanes often bring destruction, yet they play an essential role in Earth’s weather system. Hurricanes flush out wetlands and lagoons which help regulate tropical area temperatures as well as drain salt from ocean water bodies which reduce pollution that enters coral reefs.
If you want to know more about hurricanes, this video can provide all of the answers. From how they form to their speed of travel and what makes them so potent.
2. Hurricanes are shaped like triangles
Hurricanes resemble triangles due to the swirling masses of moisture and warm air they contain, which form into what’s called a fractal, with repeated patterns at any scale recurrence reminiscent of spiral galaxies which also contain similar fractal shapes. This similarity between hurricanes and spiral galaxies makes for some interesting similarities when viewing both as forms of repeatable geometry.
Looking at satellite photos of a hurricane, one can clearly see that it’s an enormous rotating mass of moist air, featuring a clear center surrounded by cloudy walls and bands of wind and rain whirling away into space. At its center lies the eye, which can take the form of either circular or oblong shapes.
Hurricanes are formed by the Coriolis force caused by Earth’s rotation. This force causes winds to spiral clockwise near the equator and counterclockwise at poles – this pattern forms what are known as hurricanes.
Hurricanes vary depending on where they form; those found in the Atlantic Ocean and Northwest Pacific region are known as hurricanes, while those occurring in India and South Pacific regions are classified as typhoons. Typhoon Tip was recorded as being one of the strongest hurricanes ever witnessed – it hit Northwest Pacific region in 1979 as category 5 hurricane!
Hurricanes can be catastrophic for cities and towns, wreaking havoc with power outages, flooding, mudslides, mudflows and killing people. To combat their danger, residents should prepare by stocking up on supplies and having an evacuation plan in case evacuation becomes necessary. Furthermore, residents should stay clear of the eye of a hurricane which often only measures two miles in diameter, surrounded by an eye wall consisting of strong winds and rainstorms that ring its edges.
3. Hurricanes are a type of storm
Hurricanes form when rotating rain bands form an eye in the center of clear skies, creating massive rotating rain bands which surround this central point known as an eye. Hurricanes are notoriously destructive storms which have destroyed homes and caused serious flooding; each hurricane category ranges from 1-5 and the higher its number is, the more devastating its destructiveness is likely to be.
To form a hurricane, warm moist air must first rise over the ocean and draw in cooler air from surrounding regions through Earth’s Coriolis Effect. These rotating thunderstorms accumulate enough energy from surrounding sources that they begin drawing power from them and grow larger; over time these circling thunderstorms draw on enough energy from within their own vicinity to begin drawing power from other nearby air masses and growing larger until reaching an atmospheric pressure low enough for spinning faster and then turning faster; at that point they become tropical depressions; if further expand into full size with wind speeds over 74 miles per hour this then becomes a hurricane!
As hurricanes move across land, they push a wall of ocean water onshore, producing an enormous storm surge which can cause devastating flooding. Furthermore, hurricane winds tear apart trees and buildings.
Hurricane is derived from Taino native American word “hurucane”, meaning “evil spirit of the wind”. These powerful storms release tremendous amounts of energy and can be lethal, leaving millions homeless or without food or water as a result. Scientists predict more intense hurricanes as global temperatures warm, which makes this resource pack full of lesson plans, worksheets and display posters perfect for helping students better comprehend this weather phenomenon – download now!
4. Hurricanes are named after people
As soon as a storm becomes strong enough to be named, a special process begins. A committee consisting of scientists and meteorologists creates its names before using them to track its passage through the Atlantic, Caribbean and Eastern Pacific oceans; helping meteorologists track and prepare for hurricanes more easily.
Before World War II, meteorologists plotting storms on maps used the military phonetic alphabet to identify them. Soon thereafter, however, meteorologists began giving storms names inspired by wives and daughters of military personnel, eventually spreading throughout other countries until it finally reached hurricane strength where it now receives one from the World Meteorological Organization.
The system uses six lists of male and female names that rotate every six years, with those featuring female names believed to cause less damage than those with male ones; however, this has yet to be proven conclusively.
Hurricanes are among the deadliest storms that can strike land and pose a significant threat to human lives, property, and natural resources. Hurricanes have the power to generate powerful waves, tornadoes and landslides while producing high winds with thick clouds overhead; all this combined can cause flooding, power outages and complete destruction in their path.
Factors contributing to a hurricane’s strength include its location, temperature of water and speed of winds. Air pressure also has an impact on its intensity. As hurricanes move towards land they change direction due to Coriolis force due to Earth rotation causing Coriolis force that creates rotation; this may weaken or intensify or even dissipate altogether depending on many other variables that could influence them.
5. Hurricanes are dangerous
Hurricanes are powerful storms powered by warm ocean waters that gather energy. When they hit land, hurricanes can produce wind speeds of 74 miles per hour and produce rainfall totalling more than 20 inches within just days – often creating deadly storm surges that plow ocean water onto beaches at depths greater than high tide.
Researchers believe hurricanes have increased in frequency due to climate change. When warmer air moves higher in the atmosphere, more likely than before it will rise and form clouds – leading to hurricanes that hit land quickly with speeds far exceeding expectations. Furthermore, warmer temperatures increase intensity more quickly, making it more difficult to predict their danger before their arrival.
Hurricane is derived from Taino Indigenous Caribbean language hurakan which translates as evil spirits of the wind and describes massive storms which can be quite terrifying for coastal residents. Although most hurricanes remain at sea for several days before making landfall and wreaking havoc.
Prior to modern weather forecasting, hurricanes were a constant threat for ships at sea. Since their path was difficult to track, hurricanes often proved deadly to fishermen and shipwreck survivors alike. Hurricanes also pose serious threats to oil and gas platforms that cannot move out of its path; furthermore they often caused significant environmental damage along coastlines by shifting beach sand or even transporting large boulders away with their waves; storm surges could even bring devastating winds near coastal towns.