How Hurricanes Form on Our Planet

Most of us know of hurricanes by the damage it leaves behind and the unbearable amounts of wind and water that drags along with them. However, wouldn’t it be insightful to really know what we’re going up against from the very beginning to the very end. The term “hurricane” was adapted for tropical cyclones that occur specifically in North America and the Caribbean. The ones near the Indian Ocean are called “cyclones” and in Southeast Asia, “typhoons”. A hurricane also known as a tropical cyclone is a large rotating storm with high speed winds that form over warm waters.

It is known to be one of the most catastrophic natural phenomena that occur in the world. For a storm to be classified as a hurricane it must reach winds of 74 mph and contain a low-pressure area in the center.

The higher the wind factor of the hurricane the stronger the effect it has on the impacted area. Hurricanes can have sustained winds that go over 155 mph.

Now that’s fast and the damage is catastrophic! The figure below illustrates the effects of the different categories of hurricanes. A hurricane is born in the ocean when the ocean’s temperature reaches above 26.5 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit). The formation of a hurricane occurs over ocean waters near the equator. First, the ocean water starts evaporating due to the heat of the sun. This causes warm most air to rise leaving less air near the surface of the ocean which causes an area of lower pressure below.

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Then, surrounding air rushes in to replace the air that has risen, and that air also begins to move upward as its heated and moistened by the ocean’s surface. Above the ocean’s surface a cluster of clouds begin to form. When this process of air rising and being replaced goes on for a while, eventually thunderstorm clouds form, which can then be labeled as a tropical disturbance.

After a tropical disturbance has formed, the thunderstorms start increasing in altitude and size, and the air at the top of the clouds starts cooling. The heat energy released from the cooling water vapor causes the air at the top of the clouds to become warmer. This increases the air pressure and causes winds to move outward away from the high-pressure area. Then air at the surface moves toward the lower pressure area, rises, and creates more thunderstorms. The entire arrangement of clouds and winds start moving quicker and in a circular motion. Storms that form north of the equator turn counterclockwise and ones that form south of the equator turn clockwise. This distinction is due to the Earth’s rotation on its axis. When the storm has reached sustained winds of at least 23 miles per hour it has upgraded into a tropical depression.

The storm’s winds continue to increase, and the clouds begin to form a very organized pattern. When the winds have reached speed of 39 miles per hour it has turned into a tropical storm. During this process of the storm, a storm can be given a name that’s generated from lists made by the National Hurricane Center. The winds blow faster and begin twisting and turning around the eye, or calm center, of the storm and starts navigating toward its path. If the storm is formed in the Atlantic waters the storm starts continues to move west. Below is a figure that shows the projected path for tropical storms depending on where they form. The sustained winds speed continues to increase until it reaches 73 miles per hour. The final stage is the upgrading from a tropical storm to a tropical cyclone. As soon as the winds have reached a speed of 74 miles per hour it is officially declared a hurricane.

However, at least half of storms don’t make it past the tropical storm stage especially if they reach landfall before gaining enough power. For this to happen a storm must still be in the warm ocean waters to gain the energy and speed it needs to be classified as a hurricane. The eye in center of the storm becomes more visible now and near the eye wall is where the most catastrophic damage occurs. Below is a diagram of the anatomy of a mature hurricane. The hurricane starts moving towards landfall where it will eventually start to cause visible damage bringing in huge amounts of rain, storm surges (which are tsunami-like flood waters coming from the coast of the ocean towards inland), and very high-speed wind. When it hits landfall, the hurricane starts losing energy quickly because it’s no longer being powered by the ocean water. It soon begins to downgrade back to a tropical storm until it eventually dies down and the path of the hurricane ends.

In conclusion, there are many stages in the formation of a hurricane. The warming of the ocean is a key element in allowing the natural phenomenon to start. Once that’s present, nature begins to play its role and a tropical disturbance develops into a tropical depression, which grows into a tropical storm until finally becoming a tropical cyclone or hurricane. Below is a picture illustrating the different stages. It is important to know the different stages, so we can know what to expect when hurricane season comes. Hurricanes cannot be prevented so it’s always good to be one step ahead!