Tropical Destruction
The Bermuda High, El Nino, and how they affect hurricanes
Hurricanes in a Nutshell
Hurricanes, or tropical cyclones, are some of the most awesome and violent storms on the planet. They usually form around the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, at around 15'-20' north or south of the equator. They are like huge engines that use warm, moist air as fuel. The warm air rises from near the surface, and more warm air rushes in to take its place.
Hurricane Katrina
Katrina was a Category 5 storm, with wind speeds of up to 175 mph, that made landfall in the southern USA in 2005.
Hurricane Ike
Ike was another Category 5 storm that made landfall in the southern USA in September 2008.
Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan was a Category 5 storm that caused widespread damage throughout the Carribean and the USA in 2004.
The Bermuda High
The Bermuda High (or Azores High), is a large, subtropical, semi-permanent center of high atmospheric pressure. This high pressure serves to prevent hurricanes forming in a certain area, as hurricanes need low pressure to form.
El Nino
El Nino is the warm phase of the El Nino Southern Oscillation, or ENSO for short. It is caused in part by the Coriolis effect, and it simply warms the area around it. But something like that completely throws off the natural equilibrium, making winters warmer and drier, and causing a lot more hurricanes due to the warm waters and low air pressure.